Cynthia J. Becker Explained

Cynthia J. Becker
Office:	Judge for the DeKalb County Superior Court, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit
Term Start:	August 2000
Term End:	March 1, 2015
Birth Name:	Cynthia Jeanne Becker^[1]
Birth Date:	26 February 1957^[2]
Birth Place:	Patrick Air Force Base, Florida
Education:	University of Central Florida (BA) Georgia State University College of Law (JD)

Cynthia Becker Mello^[3] (born February 26, 1957) is a former Georgia Superior Court Judge on the DeKalb Superior Court, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit, from 2000 until March 1, 2015.^[4] She presided over several high-profile cases, including the criminal trial of former Sheriff Sidney Dorsey^[5] and the release of exonerated Clarence Harrison.^[6]

Career

• DeKalb County Drug Court, Tracks 1 & 2 - Presiding Judge
• Judge of DeKalb County Superior Court (August 2000 – March 2015)
• Trial lawyer and partner for Chambers, Mabry (1988 – 2000)^[7]

Education

• University of Central Florida, Bachelor's degree in Finance
• 1987- Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law

Controversy

Becker announced her resignation from the DeKalb County Superior Court in November, 2014, citing her engagement to be married,^[8] under the cloud of a Georgia Judicial Qualification Commission investigation into her handling of a case where she rejected a witness' testimony in a public corruption case.^[9]

In August, 2015, a Cobb County, Georgia grand jury indicted Becker on charges that she lied to the state judicial watchdog agency about her handling of that case.^[10] The charges were dismissed a few days later^[11] and the prosecutor was scolded for seeking the indictment.^[12]

Acclamations

• Master, Bleckley Inn of Court, Georgia State University College of Law
• Board of Visitors, GSU College of Law
• 2006 Member of Judicial Workload Assessment Committee and was appointed by Chief Justice Sears
• Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia - Treatment and Accountability Courts Committee and has also chaired on Public Outreach; Court Security for the 4th Judicial Administrative District, Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, Uniform Rules Committee, the Executive Planning Team, and Special Committee on Other Courts
• 2007 Transition into Law Practice Program Mentor
• Judicial Outreach - “Challenges of Being a Single Parent”; Mock Trials for elementary and middle school students
• Frequent Presenter at professional seminars for Judges, Lawyers, and other legal professionals focusing on: legal ethics, professionalism and implementation and expansion of Accountability and Treatment Courts
• 2006 Named Law Dragon as one of the leading Judges in the Country
• 2005 Decatur Rotary Past President, former Vice President of DeKalb Library Foundation, Class of Leadership DeKalb; member of the Southern Center for International Studies
• Professional Affiliations include: DeKalb Bar Association, DeKalb Lawyers’ Association, Atlanta Bar Association - Judicial Section, President Elect, the Georgia Bar Association, the American Bar Association - Judicial Branch, and the National Association of Women Judges^[13]

Notes and References

1. https://www.martindale.com/waleska/georgia/cynthia-jeanne-becker-862539-a/ Judge Profile: Hon. Cynthia Jeanne Becker
2. Book: Hubbell, Martindale . April 1997 . Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho (Volume 6 - 1997) . . 9781561602223 .
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20191203114106/https://www.ajc.com/news/local/judge-says-voters-may-have-voided-her-pledge-stay-off-the-bench/g3gceqmrAYBIc5TxitkVvL/ Ex-judge says voters may have voided her pledge to stay off the bench
4. Web site: Transitions . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150325122443/http://w2.georgiacourts.gov/journal/index.php/component/content/article/59-march-2015/328-transitions. 2015-03-25.
5. Web site: Christensen. Tracey. Dorsey: Life Plus 23 Years in Prison. Free Republic. 20 January 2016. 15 August 2002.
6. Web site: Wrongly-Convicted Inmate Goes Free after 17 Years in Prison. Georgia Innocence Project, Inc.. 20 January 2016. 31 August 2004. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151221150910/http://www.georgiainnocenceproject.org/exonerees/clarence-harrison/clarence-harrison-articles/. 21 December 2015.
7. Web site: Cynthia Becker. LinkedIn. 20 January 2016.
8. Web site: Niesse. Mark. DeKalb judge plans to resign. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 20 January 2016. 10 November 2014.
9. Web site: Judge in DeKalb corruption case sends resignation letter. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 20 January 2016. 19 November 2014.
10. Web site: Johnson. Kent D.. Grand Jury Indicts Ex-DeKalb Judge Over Her Dealings With JQC. Daily Report. 20 January 2016. 20 August 2015.
11. Web site: Charges against ex-DeKalb Judge Becker dropped. AJC.com. 20 January 2016. 24 August 2015.
12. Web site: McDonald. R. Robin. Cobb Judge Blasted Prosecutor Over Ex-Judge's Short-Lived Indictment. Daily Report. 20 January 2016. 27 August 2015.
13. Web site: Judge Cynthia J. Becker. Stone Mountain Judicial Court Circuit. 10 July 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120305201330/http://web.co.dekalb.ga.us/superior/becker_bio.html. 5 March 2012.