Hon. Ellen McElyea

Martha Ellen McElyea is a distinguished judge who has served the Blue Ridge Circuit of Georgia since her appointment in 2006 by Governor Sonny Perdue. She assumed the bench in 2007 and was re-elected unopposed in 2012, securing 99.5% of the vote. Prior to her tenure on the superior court, McElyea was the presiding judge of the Cherokee Juvenile Court from 2000 to 2007 and practiced privately as an attorney from 1985 to 2000. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia Law School. McElyea's career reflects a commitment to the Georgia judiciary and the communities it serves.