Smith v. Langford

Hines, Justice.

Smith is the defendant in a criminal trial pending in the Superior Court of Stephens County. Robert B. Struble, Chief Superior Court Judge of the Mountain Judicial Circuit, was originally assigned to preside over Smith’s criminal trial. Judge Struble, however, recused himself from the case. Following a request for assistance, John S. Langford, a senior judge based in Fulton County, was appointed to preside over the trial. Smith filed an “Information in Nature of Quo Warranto” 1 seeking to prevent Judge Langford from sitting in his case. He argued that it was unconstitutional…