Harris Hines (September 6, 1943 – November 4, 2018) was an American judge who spent more than two decades on the Supreme Court of Georgia. Appointed to the court in 1995, he won subsequent statewide retention and served as an associate justice before his colleagues elected him Chief Justice. He held the court's highest office from 2017 until his retirement in August 2018. Hines died in an automobile crash in Atlanta in November 2018 at the age of 75.
Judicial career and roles
Hines joined Georgia's highest court on July 26, 1995, filling a vacancy and later standing for reelection as required by state practice. During his time on the bench he participated in hundreds of appellate decisions that shaped Georgia law. As Chief Justice, he had both judicial and administrative responsibilities: presiding over the court's proceedings, leading the state's judicial branch, and representing the judiciary in interactions with the legislature and executive.
Functions of a state supreme court chief justice
- Decisional duties: assign opinions when in the majority, participate in oral arguments, and write or join majority and dissenting opinions.
- Administrative leadership: oversee court administration, court rules, and the statewide administration of justice, including budgets and court policies.
- Public and interbranch role: act as a public voice for the judiciary and coordinate with other branches of government on matters affecting the courts.
Significance and legacy
Hines's tenure is remembered for longevity on the bench and for the collegial confidence shown in electing him chief. Justices who rise to chief justice typically are recognized by peers for legal experience, temperament, and administrative ability. Hines retired in August 2018 after more than two decades of service; his unexpectedly early death in a traffic collision months later brought tributes from across Georgia's legal community.
Context and notable facts
State supreme courts like Georgia’s resolve important questions of state law, supervise lower courts, and set procedural rules. A chief justice's combination of casework and administrative oversight makes the role influential in shaping how justice is delivered. Hines’s career illustrates the path of a long-serving state jurist: appointment to the high court, retention or reelection by voters, peer selection as chief, and a legacy defined by institutional service rather than by any single landmark opinion.