Tiffany Carter Sellers
Occupation: Attorney and Principal of The Law Office of Tiffany Carter Sellers, LLC and Of Counsel at Johnson & Freeman, LLC; Pro Tem Municipal Court Judge in Union City, Forest Park and Riverdale
Previous elected offices held: None
Other Community Service Experience: I am an active member of the Board of Directors of the Eagles Economic Community Development Corporation, a faith-based, non-profit corporation that provides empowerment, resources, training and community advocacy to the South Fulton Community. I am also an active member of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where I serve on several ministries. Finally, I am a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
What is motivating you to run for this office?
I chose to pursue this seat because I believe Fulton County residents deserve to have judges who are fair, efficient, effective, excellent and, most importantly, committed to Fulton. Unfortunately, this courtroom has the largest complex criminal caseload of any of the courtrooms in our Superior Court. I believe our residents deserve to have judges who are efficiently moving cases — working hard to decrease the number of backlogged cases crowding our courts. As the 1st Chief Judge in South Fulton’s Municipal Court, I have experience efficiently processing cases, having disposed of more than 6,000 cases in 18 months with no backlog.
What is the biggest issue facing the court system and how will you address it?
The biggest issue presently facing our Superior Court is judicial backlog. Fulton County Superior Court is the largest and busiest Superior Court in the state. As mentioned previously, this specific courtroom presently has the highest number of complex criminal cases. In fact, it has nearly 100 more than the average. Many of these cases are old, and I will work to bring these cases to conclusion by scheduling status conferences on each case within the first 60-90 days of taking office, and developing a strict schedule to timely and effectively resolve these matters.
Why should voters choose you over the incumbent?
I have a broad range of experiences that uniquely qualifies me. I have represented several bedrock Fulton County organizations, including Grady Memorial Hospital and MARTA. I have tried numerous complex cases. I served as the 1st Chief Judge of the South Fulton’s Municipal Court, and built the judicial system for the third largest city in Fulton County in 40 days. I developed effective programs that exposed Fulton County youth to careers in the judicial system. Most importantly, I am passionate about ensuring that Fulton County residents have a judicial system that operates in excellence and makes its residents proud.
What strengths and weaknesses has the coronavirus pandemic revealed in the court system?
This pandemic has highlighted the flexibility and adaptability of our court system. Courts throughout our state have completely shifted how they conduct business, moving to virtual calendars and conducting hearing via teleconferences. Despite these efforts, however, many courts remain inefficient, and are still unable to timely and efficiently resolve cases. If elected, I will work hard to utilize all available avenues, including virtual hearings and teleconferences, to eliminate the backlog in this courtroom.