Judge Takes His Life By Shooting Himself In Courtroom

A judge in Georgia, Stephen Yekel, has reportedly taken his own life inside his courtroom. His body was discovered on Tuesday morning at the Effingham County State Court, where he is believed to have shot himself.

The 74-year-old judge was found by a deputy around 10 a.m. on what would have been his last day in office.

Reports suggest that Yekel may have taken his life late Monday night or early Tuesday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the incident. Effingham County Sheriff, Jimmy McDuffie, revealed that Yekel had recently lost his re-election bid and had attempted to resign, but his request was denied by Governor Brian Kemp.

McDuffie noted that Yekel had sent a resignation letter to the Governor’s office, though the contents of the letter have not been disclosed. The courthouse remains closed, but it is set to resume operations on January 2.

Yekel, a father of four, had a long and distinguished career. He had worked as an assistant district attorney in Chatham County and had over 45 years of experience as a practicing lawyer. He also served as a special agent with the state’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit and worked as an investigator at the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

In his resignation letter, Yekel expressed disappointment over the low voter turnout in the election he lost, noting that the position should not be decided by just 6% of eligible voters. Governor Kemp, however, rejected his resignation request, stressing the importance of respecting the will of Effingham County’s voters.

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