Hon. J. Wade Padgett

Joseph Wade Padgett is a seasoned legal professional with a career spanning over three decades. Admitted to the Georgia State Bar in 1990, he has practiced criminal law and personal injury, and more recently focuses on defending insurance companies while advocating for injured individuals in Brunswick, Georgia. Padgett’s judicial experience began as a Columbia County magistrate judge from 1995 to 2004, where he later served as chief magistrate. In 2009 he was appointed to the Augusta Circuit Superior Court bench, a position he held for nearly thirty years before being promoted to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 2024. Beyond the bench, he has worked with a large regional firm, gaining extensive exposure to the transportation industry. Padgett is also the founder of the 'Teenage 101' seminars and remains an active member of several bar associations, including the Augusta Bar Association, Leadership Augusta, and the State Bars of Georgia, Florida, and Glynn County.