Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
Time: 12:15
Location: Roswell Area Park
Bill Johnson Community Activity Building
10495 Woodstock Road
Roswell, GA 30075 

We are pleased to welcome Justice Charlie Bethel of the Supreme Court of Georgia as our speaker on May 7. Justice Bethel brings to the state’s highest court a rare combination of legal experience, legislative service, and community involvement. Justice Bethel was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia on September 4, 2018, by Governor Nathan Deal, following his service on the Georgia Court of Appeals. In 2020, he was elected to a full six‑year term. His judicial career is marked by a steady adherence to the rule of law and to the principle that judges must set aside personal preferences and follow the law as written, even when the outcome may be unpopular.

A native of Athens and a graduate of Dalton High School, Justice Bethel earned both his BBA (1998) and JD (2001) from the University of Georgia. During his time at UGA, he was active in the Arch Society, UGA Blue Key, and other campus organizations, and was recognized as the top student in the Management Department during his junior year. In law school, he distinguished himself in Moot Court, earning “Best Oral Advocate” honors at the regional level of the National Team competition.

After clerking for Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Justice Bethel returned home to Dalton. He practiced law with Minor Bell & Neal (now The Minor Firm) and later spent more than a decade in executive and legal roles with J&J Industries in the flooring industry.

His call to public service led him first to municipal office, where he was twice elected as an Alderman for the City of Dalton. He then served four terms in the Georgia State Senate, chairing the Insurance & Labor Committee and the Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee, and serving in several leadership roles including Administration Floor Leader and Deputy Whip. Among the highlights of his legislative work, he cites the successful passage of comprehensive juvenile justice reform and autism insurance reform, widely known as “Ava’s Law.”

Justice Bethel has been recognized repeatedly for his leadership, including multiple citations as one of Georgia Trend’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” and inclusion in both Georgia Trend’s and the UGA Alumni Association’s “40 Under 40.”

He and his wife, Lynsey, also a University of Georgia graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, live in Dalton with their three children, Henry, Jeb, and Joanna. The Bethel family is active at First Baptist Church of Dalton, and Justice Bethel has served in leadership roles with organizations including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, United Way, and the Dalton Rotary Club. He has also spent many seasons coaching youth sports through the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department. He and Lynsey are members of the 2013 class of Leadership Georgia. We look forward to hearing from Justice Bethel on May 7.