Gov. Kemp Announces Superior Courts, District Attorney, and State Court Appointments

Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the following judicial appointments: Ralph W. Powell to the Superior Court of the Tifton Judicial Circuit to fill a vacancy created by HB 906; Amy E. Smith to the Superior Court of the Houston Judicial Circuit to fill a vacancy created by HB 992; Sarah Stimac Japour as the District Attorney for the newly created West Georgia Judicial Circuit established by SB 424; and Vasco "Terry" McRae to the Rockdale State Court, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Clarence Cuthpert.

Ralph W. Powell currently serves as the State Court Judge of Worth County, the Municipal Court Judge of the cities of Poulan and Warwick, the County Attorney for Worth County, and is a managing member of Wilmot & Powell, LLC. As a member of his firm, Powell maintains a general practice of law with a focus on real estate, estate planning, and the probating of wills and estates.

A native of Georgia, Powell has been practicing law for over 30 years. He spent the first 15 years of his practice in Athens, Georgia, where he served as the Solicitor General of Clarke County from 2000 - 2005. In 2005, Ralph and his family relocated to south Georgia and live on the Powell family farm in Worth County, which has been in the family name for over 150 years. During the first 10 years of his practice there, he focused on insurance defense work, mainly litigating medical malpractice cases.

Powell earned an Associate of Arts degree from Oxford College of Emory University, a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Georgia State University, and a law degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Heather, have one daughter.

Amy E. Smith currently serves as the Solicitor General of Houston County. Prior to her appointment by Governor Nathan Deal in 2011, she served as Chief Assistant District Attorney at the Houston County District Attorney’s Office. During her 14 years with that office, she handled felonies, appeals, and child support enforcement cases. Throughout her career as a prosecutor, Smith has handled all manner of cases, from murders to traffic violations. 

Smith is active in her community, serving as the secretary of the Georgia Parent’s Club for the United States Air Force Academy and as a merit badge counselor for the Scouts. Smith has served as president of the Georgia Association of Solicitors General and of the Houston County Bar Association. She was also named Faculty of the Year by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council for their Basic Litigation Course in 2023.

Smith earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Illinois State University and her law degree from the University of Georgia. She lives in Bonaire with husband, Brian, and their three children: She lives in Bonaire with husband, Brian, and their three children: Audrey, a student at the University of Georgia, Joshua, a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy, and Elizabeth, a student at Veterans High School.

Sarah Stimac Japour is a career prosecutor and the current Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit. Before working in the Tallapoosa Circuit, she served as a Senior Assistant District Attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit, specifically in both Heard County and Carroll County, for a total of 20 years. She has extensive experience prosecuting complex cases including murder, rape, armed robbery, kidnapping, and child molestation charges. For two decades, Japour has consistently advocated for the victims of crime and public safety. 

Japour received her bachelor’s degree in communications studies for law from Florida State University and her law degree from Samford University. She and her husband, Justin, live in Carrollton and have two children.

Vasco “Terry” McRae currently serves as an assistant solicitor general in Gwinnett County, where he prosecutes misdemeanor crimes. He retired as a Major from the U.S. Army after 20 years of honorable service and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his combat deployment to Iraq. McRae also earned the coveted Master Parachutist Badge. Following his retirement from the Army, he served in corporate leadership roles with Hibbett Sports and Walmart. McRae also served as a Magistrate Court Judge in Rockdale County in 2021 and 2022 to assist with the backlog of cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

McRae has been a volunteer youth sports coach for over 25 years and is passionate about mentoring young athletes and fostering teamwork. He served as the boys' varsity basketball coach at Peachtree Academy in Covington, Georgia, and also coached his sons' nationally ranked travel basketball team, Worldwide Hustle.

McRae received his undergraduate degree from Hampton University and his law degree from Michigan State University. He is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. McRae is married to Dr. Sha’Ronda McRae and they have 3 sons.