Johnston & Owen, LLC

A colleague and local attorney, Chad Nuce, suffered a terrible loss over the weekend. His 16-year-old son, Riley, was killed in an ATV accident. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. https://www.cogginsfuneralhome.com/obituary/riley-nuce

We were very saddened to hear about the passing of Barnesville attorney Karen Martin this past Friday, March 5, 2021. I enjoyed listening to Karen’s stories over the years as we waited for our court cases to be called. She had such a very interesting life! It’s hard to believe that the practice of law was actually her second career following a career in education, and that it began when she was 45 years old and continued for 37 years until her passing. From her obitua...ry: Karen loved her small town. After graduating from Gordon Military College she attended Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia, where she joined the Phi Mu sorority. She graduated from Tift College in Forsyth, Georgia with a B.A. in English in 1959. She received her Masters of Education in English from the University of Georgia in Athens in 1968. Karen taught English and Speech at Gordon Military College and was also a counselor, drama coach, tennis coach for the men’s tennis team and an announcer at Gordon football games. She also taught English at Lamar County High School in Barnesville. I will miss Karen. May she Rest In Peace.

Good things come to those who pray and wait!! It’s all in God’s timing and in His plan!! Thank you for allowing me to assist you with buying your home. Johnsto...n and Owens provided exceptional service and were patient and supportive throughout the closing process. A special thank you to O2 Realty. You all were great at helping navigating the HUD process. Let’s co-op again real soon! #homesweethome #Godisgood Call P.B.S. Realty for your home buying needs. 770-227-5838 See more

The Georgia Supreme Court extended its emergency order for a fifth time today (see the attached link). We all very much look forward to a return to normalcy with our judicial system. We are not there yet. Thank you for your patience!

We were very pleased to learn today that Ben Miller, Jr., was appointed by Governor Kemp as Superior Court Judge for the Griffin Judicial Circuit. He had served as the Chief Juvenile Court Judge for the Griffin Judicial Circuit since 2008.

STATEWIDE JUDICIAL FUNCTIONS SUSPENDED THROUGH MAY 13, 2020 The Honorable Harold D. Melton, Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, declared a Statewide Judicial Emergency based upon the COVID-19 epidemic suspending all court functions in all courts in all counties with certain limited exceptions as defined in the Order. The suspension was set to expire on April 13, 2020. On April 6, 2020, Chief Justice Melton extended the Statewide Judicial Emergency until May 13, 20...20. While this suspension and the backlog that will inevitably result when court resumes will present varying degrees of inconvenience for our clients we are determined to get things moving again as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience. Our law office is closed to the public, but we are continuing to work from the office each day based upon the fact that Governor Kemp’s Executive Order has deemed law firms to be an essential business. We are accessible by email and telephone, and we are regularly scheduling consultations with new clients by teleconference. Furthermore, we have a drop slot on the front door of our office which may be utilized to drop off letters, documents and small packages.

This past week we lost someone that was very special to me and my firm. Brenda Knight was a legal secretary for more than 30 years. She was the very first person that I met in Griffin when I came here to interview for an associate’s position with Tim Shepherd and Bill Johnston in 1995. While waiting to meet with Tim and Bill I struck up a conversation with Brenda about bad weather being expected in the area (Brenda’s favorite topic of discussion any day of the week). Ou...r friendship immediately began. Brenda took me under her wing and kept an eye on me during my first few years of practice. She taught me a lot that you don’t learn in law school, and she was so good with our clients. She would spend hours on the phone helping a client feel better. She had a huge heart and everyone that met her new it. Larry, Chris, Mike and Michelle Knight will be in our thoughts and prayers. ~ Lance N. Owen

We are so sorry to hear about the death of Pastor Randy Valimont. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family & friends as well as his church family!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all! Enjoy the fun, be careful in the rain and be safe!

Today is now called Patriot Day ... Always remember those we lost and those who fight for our country because of 9/11!

As this last stretch of Summer is upon us, we want to remind everyone to take measures to keep yourself cool by staying hydrated if you will be exposed to heat for long periods. Also, remember that children and your pets can overheat much faster than adults. Enjoy the sun but keep safe out there during these Dog Days!

It’s that time of year for Back to School in Griffin-Spalding and our surrounding Counties. Reminder to watch for busses, car riders and students walking to school! We wish Teachers and Students a successful, rewarding and safe school year!

https://www.law.com//georgia-supreme-court-stays-removal-/

This is like a What Would You Do? episode with John Quinones

Be safe everyone!