GABEO: Working to Create More Diverse Judiciary

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — In an effort to create a more diverse government, the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials is hosting a conference on diversifying the judicial branch.

GABEO kicked off the event with a welcome reception Friday night at the Macon-Bibb Government Center. The informal meeting gave state and community leaders an opportunity to mix and mingle before Saturday’s conference.

State Representative and President of GABEO, Tyrone Brooks is pushing for the judicial branch of government to be reflective of Georgia’s diverse population.

“We look at the number of minorities in the state and then we look at the prison population, it’s overwhelming black and minority, you look at the judgeships they’re overwhelming white men – very few women, we got to change this,” said Brooks.

Suzy Ockleberry with Advocacy for Action added,  “What we also focus on is judicial philosophy so you want judges that think like the community from which they come from, so it’s not like a quota system or anything like that.”

The annual GABEO conference will start Saturday morning at 8 o’clock at New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church and will continue through Sunday.

The public is welcome to attend. For more information, call (478) 737-2829.