Portrait of former Chief Justice of Georgia Supreme Court to be unveiled

ATLANTA — The portrait of Carol W. Hunstein, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, will be presented in a special ceremony on Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Supreme Court courtroom.

Hunstein was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1992 by then-Gov. Zell Miller. She served as Chief Justice from 2009-2013 and retired from the bench in 2018. Prior to her appointment to the state’s highest court, Hunstein served as a judge on the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court and also worked in private practice.

Through an unusual turn of events, Hunstein became the first judge in Georgia history to serve as a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court before becoming a permanent member of the court. While a Superior Court judge, she was named president of the Council of Superior Court Judges. And in 1991, all seven of the sitting Justices at the time recused themselves and designated seven Superior Court judges to hear and decide a case. Justice Hunstein, as president of the Council, served by designation as Chief Justice.

Hunstein’s adult children and young grandchildren will unveil the portrait during the special session, and current Chief Justice David E. Nahmias will formally accept the portrait on behalf of the Court. The portrait was painted by artist Larry Bishop of Birmingham, Ala.