Robert

"Bob" A. Ruppenthal has announced he

will run for magistrate judge in 2000.

During the Fayette

County Republicans' monthly breakfast Saturday,

he said he had not yet selected which of the four

magistrate seats he would run for, saying he

intended to talk with each of the judges prior to

making a decision.

There are four

elected Fayette County magistrate judges, Chief

Magistrate A.K. Melear, Grady L. Huddleston, Joe

Tinsely and James A. White.

The Magistrate

Court handles civil damage claims of not more

than $15,000 and criminal arrest applications,

and issues arrest warrants and search warrants.

The court handles suits for unpaid debts, such as

loans, contracts, personal property foreclosures,

garnishments, dispossessory actions for real

estate properties and other similar actions.

Additionally the

Magistrate Court holds pre-issuance warrant

hearings and hearings for misdemeanor bad check

cases up to and including trials.

Ruppenthal is a

partner in the criminal and civil practice of

Weldon and Ruppenthal PC. The firm has offices in

Fayetteville and Jonesboro. Ruppenthal has been

in practice locally since 1994. He served as

president of the Fayette County Bar Association

in 1998 and as secretary and treasurer in 1997.

He has a juris

doctor degree from the Georgia State University

of Law, an M.B.A. from Amber University in

Dallas, Texas and has a bachelor of arts in

operations management from Auburn University. He

is a member of the Fayetteville First Baptist

Church and is on the board of the Landmark

Christian School Fellowship.

Prior to opening

his law practice he taught high school at

Landmark Christian School, was a manufacturing

manager for Saw Industries and a manufacturing

engineer with Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas.

Ruppenthal lives in

Fayetteville with wife, LeGray, and his two

daughters, Danielle and Diana.

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