A Goolsby "War Story" About Old Georgia Courthouses and Old-Fashioned Justice

As a Georgia criminal lawyer who has had the good fortune to try cases all over the State of Georgia, I have seen many of the 159 courthouses in Georgia's 159 counties.  As a lover of antiques and history, I can tell you that, of all the courthouses in Georgia, I prefer the old-fashioned courthouses over the new, modern ones!

For instance, the above picture depicts the courthouse as it stood in Worth County, Georgia, (Sylvester, Georgia), until it burned down in 1982.  While its modern replacement is nice, in my opinion, it was probably a lot more fun to try cases in this old courthouse. 

[Photos from wikipedia]

In my own county, Columbia County, we still have an old courthouse, located out in Appling, Georgia, (shown above), and a new, more modern facility, which is located more closely to the population center, in Evans, Georgia, (near Augusta).  As you can guess, I much prefer to try cases in the old courthouse in Appling!  I love the creaking old steps, the antique fixtures, and the creepy old paintings of judges from earlier centuries. 

In my opinion, while injustices may have occurred in Georgia's past, old Georgia courthouses were certainly not at fault.  To me, venerable, old courthouses remind us of our heritage and the fact that the law has stood the test of time.  The Appling courthouse, which was built in 1856, is reportedly the oldest Georgia courthouse which is still in use in this state.  And I hope it will be in use for many years to come!