Superior Court Judge-elect Chris Edwards says he is

determined not to waste the time between now and his swearing

in next January.

"There is a lot to do," Edwards told The Citizen after winning

a seat on the Griffin Judicial Circuit Superior Court bench

last week.

Edwards narrowly defeated David Fowler of Molena, Ga. in

a runoff last Tuesday after the two emerged from a field of five in

the General Primary election July 21.

An open election for judges is rare. Judge Andrew Whalen

announced his retirement in time for this year's elections,

instead of following the usual course of retiring mid-term and

allowing the seat to be filled by gubernatorial appointment.

Whalen said he preferred to let the voters decide who their

next judge would be.

Edwards and his supporters combed Fayette and other

counties in the district removing campaign signs shortly after the

election. As soon as that was taken care of, Edwards said his

first order of business was to get in touch with Fayette county

manager Billy Beckett to begin looking for space for an office.

For the first time, a spot on the Griffin District bench will be

filled by a Fayette resident, and Edwards said he will arrange to have

an office here rather than in Griffin.

"I promised during my campaign that I would do that,"

said Edwards.

He also will be busy divesting himself of his current law

practice. "I hope we can resolve some of the cases before then, but

I'll have to make arrangements to make sure [my clients] are

provided for," he said.

Edwards said he also plans to make a trip to Columbia, S.C.

to gather information on new curfew laws and enforcement of

truancy laws there. "Their crime rate has dropped dramatically, and

I'm interested in seeing it. A judge is not a dictator of policy to

anybody, and I'm not seeking to undertake any sort of role like

that," but he said he hopes to gather information that local

governments can look at.

A lot of talking and listening is also on the new judge's

agenda for the next four months. He said he is soliciting invitations to

speak to church groups and civic clubs to get input on how the courts

can run better.

In church talks, he said, he will emphasize a message that

was part of his campaign, "that faith in God is the only thing that

is really going to answer the lawlessness and disrespect

for authority in our society. One thing that people

received well [during the campaign] is the message of hope,"

he said, adding, "It's important that our

authority figures carry that message to the public."

He also will urge parents and students to work for more

prayer in local schools. "It's legal as long as it's voluntary and in

the proper time, place and manner, and I would like to

encourage that," he said. "It would be

an exciting thing if others in authority as well could

encourage churches to reestablish that legal prayer in the schools that's

authorized now."

He also will speak to groups of lawyers, and hopes to have a

series of dutch treat suppers to discuss ways to improve the

justice system.

And he is putting the word out to law enforcement officers

in Fayette that he will be available to help with warrants and

other problems. "I'm the first judge from Fayette County, and I

want law enforcement people to know that I'm available to them

whenever that's necessary," he said.

Much of his daytime work will be in the other counties of

the district, but nights and weekends he will be in Fayette,

Edwards said. "I've never worked strictly 9 to 5," he said.

Lawyers also should feel free to call him, he said, to help

move their cases along faster. Disputes over issues in discovery

sometimes can cause a case to drag out, he said, adding he is available

to help work those problems out "as inexpensively and as quickly

as possible."

Running for the office was a grueling experience,

Edwards said, but he held out an olive branch to the four lawyers

who ran the race with him. "We had five candidates, and all five

were excellent, honest lawyers whom I highly respect," he said. "This

is not something where enemies have been made."

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