Georgia · Burke County · Courts

Alfonzo Williams State Case: Senior Judge Kathy Stephens Palmer Assigned in Burke County GA

A retired superior court judge from Swainsboro will preside over the state case against the suspended Burke County sheriff after every judge in the Augusta Judicial Circuit stepped aside. Prosecutors say a bench warrant is expected once she is briefed.

Who is the new judge in the Alfonzo Williams case?

A new judge has been assigned to the state case against Alfonzo Williams, the Burke County sheriff who was suspended by Gov. Brian Kemp, WRDW reported Wednesday from Waynesboro.

Senior Judge Kathy Stephens Palmer, a retired superior court judge, has been designated to preside. The designation came in an order signed on Aug. 10 by Sheryl B. Jolly, administrative judge of the 10th Judicial Administrative District.

The order was filed in Burke County Superior Court on Aug. 12 under criminal case number 2026-R-0055, WRDW reported.

Palmer is from Swainsboro and studied law at the University of Georgia. She was part of the Middle Judicial Circuit in Swainsboro.

What charges does Williams face in the state case?

Williams faces two counts of making a false statement and two counts of theft by conversion, WRDW reported.

He was indicted by a grand jury. An indictment is a charge, not a finding of guilt, and he has not been convicted. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Making a false statement is a felony in Georgia. O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20 covers knowingly and willfully falsifying or concealing a material fact, or making a false statement or false writing, in any matter within the jurisdiction of a state department or agency or of a county, city or other political subdivision. The punishment is a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for one to five years, or both.

Theft by conversion is defined at O.C.G.A. § 16-8-4. It applies when a person lawfully obtains funds or property of another under an agreement or known legal obligation to make a specified application or disposition of it, then knowingly converts the funds or property to his own use in violation of that obligation.

How did the case end up outside the Augusta circuit?

All Augusta Judicial Circuit Superior Court judges recused themselves from the case on Aug. 7, WRDW reported. The station reported that recusal is standard when local judges have previously worked with or closely know the defendant.

The case was then reassigned outside the circuit, which led to Palmer's appointment, WRDW reported.

Georgia law sets out the grounds on which a judge or judicial officer is disqualified at O.C.G.A. § 15-1-8. The procedure a superior court follows on recusal is set by Uniform Superior Court Rule 25.

Senior judge status, and requests for the assistance of a senior judge, are provided for at O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.2. The duties of a district administrative judge, including the assignment of judges within a judicial administrative district, appear at O.C.G.A. § 15-5-5.

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What happens next in Burke County Superior Court?

The next step in the state case is for Judge Stephens Palmer to be briefed on the allegations and the procedural history, according to the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office as reported by WRDW.

After that briefing, a bench warrant is expected to be issued for Williams' arrest, WRDW reported.

Georgia defines a bench warrant at O.C.G.A. § 17-7-90 as a warrant issued by a judge for the arrest of a person accused of a crime by a grand jury, among other circumstances. Under that section, every officer is bound to execute a bench warrant within his or her jurisdiction, and a person arrested on one is committed to jail until bail is tendered. Any judicial officer, or the sheriff of the county where the charge was returned, may receive the bail, fix the amount of the bond and approve the sureties, unless the case is bailable only before a particular judicial officer.

What does Georgia law say about suspending an indicted official?

Williams was suspended by Gov. Brian Kemp, WRDW reported.

The suspension of an indicted public official is governed by O.C.G.A. § 45-5-6. When a grand jury of this state or of the United States returns a felony indictment that relates to the performance or activities of the office, the Attorney General or the district attorney transmits a certified copy of the indictment to the Governor.

The section then provides for a review commission made up of the Attorney General and two public officials. If the commission determines that the indictment relates to and adversely affects the administration of the office, and that the rights and interests of the public are adversely affected, it recommends suspension. If, and only if, the commission recommends it, the Governor may suspend the officer pending final disposition of the case or the expiration of the term of office, whichever comes first.

A suspended official may petition the Governor for a review under the same section, and is reinstated if the commission recommends reinstatement.

What about the county-owned truck assigned to Williams?

WRDW reported that the county-owned vehicle assigned to Williams has been parked in front of a cigar lounge he owns in Hephzibah while he is suspended.

County officials said he is not allowed to drive the truck, which carries blue lights, while he is suspended from office, according to WRDW. The station reported that arrangements are being made to retrieve it.

Is this the same as the federal case?

No. The federal case against Williams is a separate matter. WRDW reported that he pleaded not guilty to federal charges a day before he faced the state grand jury indictment.

What we don't know yet

Frequently asked questions

Who is the judge now assigned to the Alfonzo Williams state case?
Senior Judge Kathy Stephens Palmer, a retired superior court judge, was designated to preside under an order signed Aug. 10 by Sheryl B. Jolly, administrative judge of the 10th Judicial Administrative District.

What is the case number in Burke County Superior Court?
The designation order was filed on Aug. 12 under criminal case number 2026-R-0055.

What charges does Alfonzo Williams face in the state case?
Two counts of making a false statement and two counts of theft by conversion, WRDW reported.

Has Williams been convicted of anything?
No. He was indicted by a grand jury, which is a charge and not a finding of guilt. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Why is a judge from outside the Augusta Judicial Circuit hearing the case?
All Augusta Judicial Circuit Superior Court judges recused themselves on Aug. 7, and the case was then reassigned outside the circuit.

Has a bench warrant been issued for Williams?
WRDW reported that a bench warrant is expected to be issued for his arrest after Judge Palmer is briefed on the allegations and the procedural history.

Is Alfonzo Williams still the sheriff of Burke County?
No. He was suspended by Gov. Brian Kemp, WRDW reported.

Is this the same as the federal case against Williams?
No. The federal case is separate. WRDW reported that Williams pleaded not guilty to federal charges a day before he faced the state grand jury indictment.

What does Georgia law say about theft by conversion?
O.C.G.A. § 16-8-4 applies when a person lawfully obtains money or property of another under an agreement or legal obligation to apply it in a specified way, then knowingly converts it to his own use in violation of that obligation.