What to know about the judge who will handle the Trump case - ABC News

Judge Scott McAfee was appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

August 15, 2023, 7:58 AM

Former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants drew the newest judge on the Superior Court of Fulton County -- Scott McAfee.

Appointed to the bench by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and sworn in on Feb. 1, 2023, McAfee most recently served as the Georgia inspector general, where he was tasked with overseeing fraud and corruption within Georgia's executive branch.

"Scott McAfee is a strong addition to my administration," Kemp said in the statement in 2021 about McAfee's appointment. "His experience as a tough prosecutor equips him to search out fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption, and bring those to justice who break the law."

PHOTO: Judge Scott McAfee is seen here in an undated file photo. — Judge Scott McAfee is seen here in an undated file photo.

Superior Court of Fulton County

Across his ten-year career as a lawyer, McAfee has spent all but six months in public service, notably working for three and a half years with the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. He also worked as a federal prosecutor in Georgia and as an assistant district attorney in Barrow County, Georgia.

Despite his brief tenure, McAfee has made at least one significant ruling about how he might approach the public statements made by Trump in the lead up to trial.

In June, McAfee fined pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood $5,000 in contempt of court for violating an order against insulting his former legal associates.

PHOTO: The sun sets on the Lewis R. Slaton Courthouse ahead of an expected indictment of former US President Donald Trump on Aug. 14, 2023, in Atlanta. — The sun sets on the Lewis R. Slaton Courthouse ahead of an expected indictment of former US President Donald Trump on Aug. 14, 2023, in Atlanta.

Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images

"I can't overlook the protracted and flagrant nature of the violation," McAfee said of Wood's disparaging comments, threatening to fine him $15,000 for future violations.

McAfee graduated from the University of Georgia Law School in 2013 and from Emory University in 2010. He is currently running for reelection in 2024, according to his campaign website.

A father of two, McAfee also serves as a volunteer scuba diver at the Georgia aquarium. He studied music as a cellist and is an Eagle Scout.

ABC News' Lucien Bruggeman contributed to this story.