DALTON, Ga. — Superior Court judges will begin interviewing candidates next week for two positions on the Whitfield County Magistrate Court, according to Superior Court Administrator Brad Butler.

Chief Magistrate Haynes Townsend announced his retirement earlier this month, effective March 31. Judge Shana Vinyard, who has been on “voluntary paid leave” since October of last year as the result of an investigation by the state’s Judicial Qualifications Commission, submitted her resignation to Gov. Brian Kemp in February, effective April 1. That will leave two vacancies on the four-person court.

“We took resumes for both positions at the same time,” said Butler.

The four Superior Court judges — Chief Judge William T. Boyett, Scott Minter, Cindy Morris and Jim Wilbanks — will appoint individuals to fill the remaining portion of both terms, which end on Dec. 31, 2020.

The deadline for applications closed March 15, with 38 people applying for one or both positions, and Butler said the Superior Court judges have selected 12 candidates to bring in for interviews starting next week.

Butler said he could not release the names of any of the applicants.

“This is a court matter, and the courts are not subject to open records laws,” he said. “The judges have determined it would not be in the best interest of those who have applied. Some are working jobs, and the judges are trying to be respectful of their privacy.”

Butler said the goal is to try to have both positions filled by the time they officially become open.

Townsend said earlier this month Vinyard’s resignation effectively ended the investigation by the Judicial Qualifications Commission.

Townsend, who has been a judge on the Magistrate Court for 22 years and chief magistrate for 10 years, said he had planned to resign at the end of 2018 but Vinyard’s absence forced him to stay.

The only qualifications to serve as a Magistrate judge are at least one year of residency in the county, the individual must be at least 25 years old and must have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

More than 14,000 cases came through Magistrate Court in 2018, and a judge is on call 24 hours a day to handle arrest and search warrants for law enforcement. The court handles a variety of cases, including evictions, civil disputes below a certain dollar amount, violations of county ordinances and some misdemeanor crimes. The judges also handle first appearances, hearings in which defendants are informed of the charges against them and can make a plea or be referred to Superior Court, depending on the severity of the charges.