TIFTON — In a press conference Wednesday in the main courtroom at the Tift County Courthouse, a sentimental and at times tearful Gary McCorvey told members of the press, the bar, friends and those who were just curious that he has decided not to run for re-election to the post of superior court judge of the Tifton circuit.

“I simply do not want to come to court or to the office for the next four years,” McCorvey said toward the end of his speech.

McCorvey said that he and his wife, Betty, “started a wonderful journey” 12 years ago when he first ran for the post. He said he remembered picking up the blue campaign cards from Lang Printing when the ink on them was still wet and taking them to Ashburn’s Fire Ant Festival to hand to constituents. He said their hands were blue by the time the day was over.

McCorvey said the “Four C’s” on his campaign card — which stand for character, common sense, courtroom experience and courage to do the right thing — are all qualities he believes a good judge should have. He added later that compassion should have been listed as the fifth “C” on the card.

“I have had a passion for the job, but I have also been compassionate to people and their problems,” McCorvey said.

McCorvey said a judge needed to know when to be tough and when to use a more gentle approach and recounted how a 50-year-old woman he sentenced in a case 18 months ago approached him recently. McCorvey said the woman, who was a drug addict at the time of her court appearance to face her charges, reminded him upon their meeting of how he had told her in court that she didn’t have a chance and she wouldn’t make it. She told McCorvey she was working to earn her GED and just wanted him to know that she proved him wrong.

“It’s rewarding to see people make it,” McCorvey said.

Betty McCorvey read a card from the mother of a man who McCorvey had sentenced some years ago. The mother had written that her son was a U.S. Marine serving in Afghanistan and had attained the rank of Lance Corporal. In the card, she thanked McCorvey for what he had had done for her son.

“You don’t get letters like this unless you have done a good job,” McCorvey said.

McCorvey said “I’m not stupid” and “I don’t live in a vacuum” when he indicated that he knew there had been a concerted effort to encourage someone to run against him for the judgeship. He thanked Ronnie Wheeler, an assistant district attorney here, for coming to him and telling him personally that he plans to run for the post. He also encouraged other attorneys in the circuit, including State Court Solicitor Bob Richbourg and attorneys Render Heard and Greg Sowell, to run for the post. As of Wednesday afternoon, no one has indicated to the press that they will seek the post.

“I don’t mean to endorse somebody to run for the job and I’m not criticizing anybody who wants to run,” McCorvey said.

McCorvey said that he had prayed about the decision whether or not to run for re-election and consulted with his close friends on the issue.

“I know what I’m doing is the right thing and I hold no animosity toward anyone,” McCorvey said.

McCorvey said that hundreds of people had contacted him and urged him to run for re-election and that people from the circuit had indicated they would donate $50,000 to his campaign and he was “humbled by the outpouring of support,” but he didn’t believe he should run for the post, be re-elected and then decide to resign mid-term. He said the position of judge belongs to the people of the circuit and that it was “not about who can win in a battle of egos.”

McCorvey said that he wasn’t retiring and would decide over the next six months what he’ll do for the next 10 years. He indicated he might practice law or run for another public office in a few years.

“Being a superior court judge is for a young man,” McCorvey said. “It takes a lot of energy.”

At the beginning of the press conference, McCorvey asked for a moment of silent prayer for district attorney Paul Bowden, who he said had surgery for prostate cancer in Atlanta Wednesday and was recovering.



To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.