Court staff is governed by the same set of ethical rules that governs judicial behavior. Court staff are thus barred from engaging in ex parte communications with parties and from giving legal advice to parties appearing before the court. The tasks of municipal court clerks, which include processing warrants and sentences issued by the judge and collecting fines and fees paid into the court, require careful diligence.
The Municipal Court is staffed with one Chief Municipal Court Clerk, four part-time judges, one part-time solicitor, and one part-time public defender, who all report to the City Manager. Probation services are contracted out to Professional Probation Services, Inc. Additional services are provided by DeKalb County.
Our court leadership includes the municipal court clerk and judges.
Court Administrator
Mallory Minor
Court Administrator
View Bio
Mallory Minor is the appointed Clerk of the Municipal Court of
Stonecrest. The Clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Stonecrest
shall be responsible for recording the proceedings of the Municipal
Court of the City of Stonecrest, maintaining in a safe place all
records and documents pertaining to the affairs of the Municipal
Court, and performing such other duties as required by the position of
Clerk of the Municipal Court of the City of Stonecrest.
Minor is a proud Georgia native. With her, she brings over sixteen
years of legislative and judicial administration experience! Starting
her career as a Paralegal, she later went on to hold the position as
the Legislative Clerk's Assistant with the Georgia General Assembly,
where she worked closely with Former Clerk Robbie Rivers and the
Georgia House. Thereafter, she continued her public service with the
Magistrate Court of Rockdale County, where Chief Magistrate Judge
Phinia Aten appointed her as the Magistrate Clerk of Court. This
historic appointment placed her as the 1st African American Woman
Magistrate Clerk of Court in Rockdale History! With the Court, the
Clerk's Office connected with the Court's innovative
court-to-community programs projected in video series, "Smart
Justice;" annual youth law camp for middle and high school students
and mentorship of high school, college and law students. She later
went on to serve as the Municipal Chief Deputy Clerk of Court of
Athens-Clarke County and Appointed City Clerk of two (2)
Municipalities.
Minor has served on multiple committees, including District Four
Representative of the Council of Magistrate Court Clerks, Inc., Editor
of the Reporter's Notebook, and a Graduate of Leadership Rockdale
Class of 2016. She is actively involved with several professional and
civic organizations, including her appointment as an alternate member
of the Rockdale County Board of Equalization, Rockdale County Juvenile
Court Mentor, and inducted member of the Area IV Chapter of Top Ladies
of Distinction (TLOD).
She earned her B.S. in Legal Studies, A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies and
American Bar Association Approved Certificate in Paralegal Studies
from Clayton State University, Master's in Professional Studies at
Tennessee State University, and is a Registered Neutral with the
Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. In her space, she is an avid
reader and continues a steady and consistent path of career growth and
advancement.
"I am excited about the challenge ahead of us and very much looking
forward to all the wonderful things this new role has to offer. I will
continue to use my experience to efficiently and effectively serve the
City of Stonecrest."
Presiding Judges
Curtis W. Miller
Chief Judge
View Bio
Judge Curtis W. Miller is recognized for his keen knowledge of criminal law. His first job was in the Public Defender's Office in Athens, Georgia. He's also represented defendants in conjunction with the Georgia Indidgent Defense Council. Judge Millerr is a native Atlantan and Stonecrest resident for over thirty years. He graduated from Duke University (B.S., 1976) and the University of Georgia (J.D., 1979.) Judge Miller was in private practice for many years. In 2004, he was appointed as a Magistrate in Dekalb County by Governor Nathan Deal. He was named the Supervisor of the Dekalb Magistrate Court, Criminal Division in 2017. Miller also served as Chief Judge of the Lithonia Municipal Court.
Judge Miller retired from Dekalb County Magistrate Court in 2021. He started a new venture in 2022 as of counsel for the Atlanta firm: Stewart, Miller and Simmons. He is also Judge Pro Tem in the Dekalb County Juvenile Court.
Judge Miller enjoys spending time with his six grandchildren when he's not working. He loves to travel and worship at Salem Bible Chuch.
Michael Sheridan
Judge Pro Tem
View Bio
Judge Michael L. Sheridan is a partner at the law office of Davis
& Sheridan LLC in Lithonia, Georgia. He has over ten (10) years
of general litigation experience, specializing in family law,
criminal defense, and personal injury. His experience includes
handling all aspects of litigation, from case investigation through
and including trial. Mr. Sheridan also serves as Judge Pro Tem for
the City of South Fulton, Georgia Municipal Court. In addition, Mr.
Sheridan is an adjunct professor at Georgia Military College where
he has taught ethics, critical thinking, and paralegal studies.
Mr. Sheridan earned his B.B.A. in Finance from Howard University in
1998. After graduating, he worked in the financial services industry
for five (5) years before enrolling in law school. He then earned
his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia in 2006.
Mr. Sheridan was recognized by Super Lawyers® as a Rising Star in General Litigation (2015-216). This honor recognizes no more than 2.5 percent (2.5%) of attorneys in each state. Mr. Sheridan is a member of the American Bar Association, Gate City Bar Association and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. He also serves on the board of the Lithonia Downtown Development Authority, where he is currently the Treasurer.
Mr. Sheridan is married to attorney Kimberly Sheridan and has two
beautiful daughters, Leah and Lauren.
Latasha Barnes
Associate Judge
View Bio
Judge Latasha Barnes is the owner and managing attorney of The
Barnes Law Office, LLC located in Atlanta, GA. She specializes in
personal injury and DUI defense cases.
Latasha is a former prosecutor in the Fulton County Solicitor Office
and has prosecuted thousands of criminal cases for nearly five
years. She is an effective litigator and skilled negotiator who has
had over 50 jury and bench trials. She has also conducted many
motion hearings and negotiated thousands of criminal cases. In 2016,
Latasha was named Top 40 under 40 in Criminal Defense by the
National Trial Lawyers. For the last five years Judge Barnes has
also been a Rising Star on the Georgia Super Lawyers listing, a
distinction only received by 2.5% of attorneys in Georgia.
Latasha also has had specialized training in DUI detection and field
sobriety evaluations. She has successfully completed the DWI
Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing practitioner
course which is recognized by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHSTA). Latasha also represents individuals who have
been injured due to tractor-trailer accidents and automobile
accidents. She has also been named one of the top 10 female personal
injury attorneys in Georgia for client satisfaction by the American
Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. The Barnes Law Office, LLC
was named one of the fastest growing businesses in University of
Georgia's elite Bulldog 100 in 2020.
Latasha is a proud Atlanta native who was raised in Decatur, GA. She
attended the University of Georgia for her two undergraduate
Bachelor degrees in Political Science and History. Latasha received
her Juris Doctorate degree from Mississippi College School of Law.
She is currently licensed to practice in the Superior Court of
Georgia, The Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia, and the
Supreme Court of the State of Georgia.
Judge Barnes is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, National
College of DUI Defense, The Georgia Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers, DeKalb Lawyers Association, The Georgia Association of
Black Women Attorneys, University of Georgia Trial Lawyers
Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
Latasha is married to Desmond Barnes. She enjoys spending time with
her husband and family, traveling and listening to music -
especially her favorite artist of all time, Prince.
Janet Scott
Associate Judge
View Bio
Judge Janet C. Scott is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and began
practicing law in 2007. She is cum laude graduate of Spelman College
and holds a Master of Arts degree in Education from Mercer
University. A graduate of Atlanta's John Marshall Law School, she
has practiced law in several areas, including criminal, education,
employment, entertainment, insurance defense, nursing home abuse,
personal injury, premises liability, and wrongful death.
Judge Scott is passionate about the community and has served various
bar and community organizations, for example, the GABWA Foundation,
National Black MBA Association-Atlanta Chapter, Georgia Young
Lawyers' Division, United States Selective Service Board (DeKalb
County, Georgia), and as a past Chair of the St. Jude Children's
Hospital, Southern Evening of Hope. Judge Scott is a graduate of
Leadership DeKalb and a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Inc., the American Bar Association, GABWA, GAWL, Gate City Bar
Association, and the Lawyers Club of Atlanta. She is a past
President of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (2016)
and the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys Foundation,
Inc. (2020-2021).
She has been recognized by the Georgia Young Lawyers' Division for
her outstanding community service. She has also been recognized by
the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers as a Scholarship Recipient
and an Outstanding Law Student.
In 2015, she was named one of Rolling Out Magazine and the Steed
Society's Top 25 Women of Atlanta, the Atlanta Business Chronicle's
2016 Who's Who in the Legal community, and the Atlanta Business
League's 2016 100 Women of Influence. She is Georgia Superlawyer
Rising Star (2016 and 2017).
Prior to attending law school, Judge Scott taught middle school in
the DeKalb County School District. In her spare time, she enjoys
watching Hallmark movies and football!
New Municipal Judges Sworn-In
|