SR79: SR79 Beasley, Judge Dorothy Toth; condolences

This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia Senate marking the death of Judge Dorothy Toth Beasley on May 19, 2024. It recounts her career, from studying law as one of few women in her class to arguing cases before the United States Supreme Court, serving as a federal prosecutor, becoming the first female judge on the Fulton County State Court, and later becoming the first woman on the Georgia Court of Appeals in 1984 and its first female chief judge in 1995. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally expresses the Senate's condolences to her family and directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to them.

• Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences on the death of Judge Dorothy Toth Beasley.
• Recounts her legal career, including arguing cases before the United States Supreme Court and serving as a federal prosecutor.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to her family.
• Creates no new law, funding, or penalty, as it is a ceremonial resolution rather than a bill amending the Georgia Code.

The resolution directly names the family of Judge Dorothy Toth Beasley, who will receive the official copy, and reflects the Georgia Senate's own institutional recognition of a former state judge's career.

While the resolution has no legal effect on Georgians generally, it places an official Senate record honoring a pioneering Georgia jurist who was the first woman on the Georgia Court of Appeals, preserving her career and legacy in the state's legislative history.

• The whereas clauses detail her biography, education, and career, including her role in the landmark cases Doe v. Bolton and Furman v. Georgia.
• The first resolving clause states the Senate's intent to honor her memory and express regret at her passing.
• The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available to her family.

1. 2025-02-03Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-01-30Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)Primary sponsor
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Emanuel Jones (D, SD-010)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
• David Lucas (D, SD-026)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Nabilah Islam Parkes (D, SD-007)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)

• Georgia judiciary
• Senate resolution
• condolences
• Georgia Court of Appeals
• legal history