For Justice Charlie Bethel, a visit to Rome is never just another campaign stop.
It is also a return to childhood memories — many of them tied to the historic courthouse that long stood at the center of downtown.
“We were in Rome for holidays and important family days and all that kind of stuff,” Bethel said during a Wednesday interview at the Rome News-Tribune office. “And it’s just an iconic building, and so it’s devastating.”
That longtime landmark — the late-19th century Floyd County courthouse that was heavily damaged by fire earlier this week — held a personal place in his family’s story.
Bethel said his father, Charles “Chuck” Bethel, spent much of his youth in Rome and often visited the courthouse building for both services and while as a practicing attorney.
“He registered to vote there and got his driver’s license there,” Bethel said. “A lot of good memories.”
The courthouse’s age also resonated with him personally.
“It was constructed in 1892, which is also the year the house I grew up in, in Dalton, was built,” he said. “So it’s always been one of those sort of fixed-in-time memories.”
For many residents, the building represented more than government offices, something the Georgia Supreme Court justice said he understands.
“That’s the story of community,” Bethel said. “Setbacks are opportunities to grow forward — but we still can miss what was.”
Deep family ties to Rome
Bethel’s connection to Rome goes back generations.
His grandparents, Will and Peg Bethel, moved to the city in 1953 from Iowa when his grandfather accepted a job with General Electric. The family settled in the Shorter Heights neighborhood, where Bethel’s father, uncle and aunt grew up.
Those roots meant frequent trips to Rome throughout Bethel’s childhood.
“For the first 20 years of my life, Christmas Eve meant being here in Rome,” Bethel said. “We went to services at First Presbyterian.”
His connection to the city continued into adulthood. His wife, Lynsey Bethel, completed pharmacy school rotations at Rome hospitals and lived with his grandmother during that time.
Bethel said those experiences have kept Rome feeling familiar.
“It’s always felt like a second Northwest Georgia home,” he said.
A legal career rooted in Northwest Georgia
Bethel, who lives in Dalton, built his career in Northwest Georgia before being appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal, following a vacancy, to the state’s highest court in 2018. After that, he faced a 2020 election contest, and he will appear on the ballot this year for re-election May 19.
His background includes service as a Dalton city alderman, a member of the Georgia Senate and years working in mediation and dispute resolution.
Those experiences, he said, shape how he approaches the work of judging.
“They don’t change how you read the law,” Bethel said. “But they give you perspective about where disputes come from and what people are going through.”
He said those life experiences — along with parenting and even coaching youth sports — have helped develop the ability to listen carefully.
“When you’re explaining a decision, people deserve to understand not just the result but the reason behind it,” he said.
‘Judgment, not will’
Expanding on the concept of “understanding,” Bethel said his judicial philosophy centers on a long-standing principle of American law.
He frequently cites the words of Alexander Hamilton, who wrote in The Federalist Papers that courts must exercise “judgment and not will.”
“That phrase captures it well,” Bethel said. “Our role is to determine what the law says and apply it faithfully.”
That commitment sometimes means enforcing results a judge might not personally favor.
“There have been times where I’ve written that I might disagree with the outcome as a policy matter,” Bethel said. “But if the law requires it, fidelity to the law means that’s the result.”
The court’s loyalty, he said, is not to any side of a dispute.
“Our fidelity is to the law itself,” Bethel said. “Not to parties, not to policy movements.”
A court of review
The Georgia Supreme Court does not conduct trials. Instead, it reviews decisions made in lower courts.
Bethel compares the role to the replay booth used in sports broadcasts.
“Everything we do is looking at something that happened somewhere else and asking, ‘were the rules followed?’” he said.
The court has the authority to interpret the Georgia Constitution and review major legal questions affecting the state’s judicial system. Its rulings are binding on trial courts across Georgia’s 159 counties.
Because of that authority, Bethel said, a single decision can shape how cases are handled statewide.
For example, rulings on jury instructions or procedural fairness can guide trial judges in future criminal cases. Decisions involving zoning or land use disputes can also establish precedent that affects local governments across Georgia.
“The trial courts are where the rubber meets the road,” Bethel said. “Our job is to provide clear guidance so the law is applied consistently.”
Difficult cases and major decisions
Some of the cases reaching the court involve the most serious crimes in Georgia, including death penalty appeals.
Capital cases typically involve extensive litigation and multiple layers of review.
“Those cases receive substantial resources and careful consideration on both sides,” Bethel said.
Decisions in those cases often influence how trial courts handle serious criminal matters statewide.
Yet Bethel said the most emotionally difficult cases for him often involve harm to children.
“Cases involving intentional harm to children are particularly challenging,” he said.
Maintaining impartiality in such cases requires careful discipline.
“You have to recalibrate and re-center,” Bethel said. “The responsibility is to approach every case with fairness and objectivity.”
Challenges facing Georgia’s courts
While the state’s Supreme Court reviews major legal questions, Bethel said many challenges facing the justice system occur at the local level.
One issue affecting rural communities is access to legal representation.
“There are counties in Georgia that have no attorneys,” Bethel said. “Those are sometimes called legal deserts.”
The Supreme Court does not control court funding or the creation of new judgeships. However, Bethel said the court provides the legislature with data about caseloads and workloads across the state.
“Our role is to provide accurate information so policymakers can make decisions about resources,” he said.
Judicial elections and independence
Bethel first joined the court through appointment and later stood for election, reflecting Georgia’s hybrid system for selecting judges.
When vacancies occur, the governor appoints a justice who must later run in a statewide election.
Those elections are officially nonpartisan, and Bethel said they operate differently from traditional political campaigns.
“Judges can’t promise outcomes or express views on issues that may come before the court,” he said.
Maintaining that neutrality is essential to public confidence in the judiciary.
Bethel pointed to a phrase used by Georgia’s chief justice, Nels S.D. Peterson, during a recent State of the Judiciary address: “We want judges who wear robes and not jerseys.”
Administrative work behind the scenes
In addition to deciding cases, Bethel has taken on several administrative roles within Georgia’s court system.
He works with the Judicial Council of Georgia, which coordinates efforts across courts statewide. He also serves as the Supreme Court’s liaison to the State Bar and the Office of Bar Admissions.
That work includes modernizing admissions processes and identifying individuals who should not be allowed to practice law.
Bethel also chairs the state’s Committee on Justice for Children, which oversees initiatives aimed at improving how courts handle cases involving minors.
The committee administers a federal grant supporting pilot programs, data collection and best practices for juvenile courts across Georgia.
Law with deep historical roots
Although the court regularly deals with modern legal issues, Bethel said Georgia law is rooted in centuries-old legal traditions.
For much of the state’s early history, Georgia had no appellate court.
The Georgia Supreme Court was created in 1845 and began hearing cases the following year.
Before that, disputes were resolved entirely in local courts with no higher court to review decisions.
Some legal principles still trace back even further.
“If there’s not a statute addressing a particular issue, there’s actually a code section that points back to the English common law that existed at the time Georgia became a state,” Bethel said.
The legal questions ahead
Looking forward, Bethel expects emerging technologies to produce new legal challenges.
Artificial intelligence is likely to generate disputes over responsibility, liability and legal rights, he said.
“I think generative AI will be heavily litigated,” Bethel said.
Autonomous vehicles could raise similar questions about responsibility when technology interacts with public safety and transportation.
“Historically, every major technology eventually finds its way into the courts,” Bethel said.
Despite those new challenges, he said the court’s mission remains constant.
“Our responsibility is the same regardless of the issue,” Bethel said. “Determine what the law says and apply it faithfully.”
And for Bethel, that work still carries a strong connection to Rome — a city where family history, personal memories and the practice of law intersect.
“It’s always been part of my life,” Bethel said. “Rome will always feel like home in Northwest Georgia.”