Hon. James G. Tunison

James G. Tunison, Jr. joined Slappey & Sadd, LLC in 2020 as a partner, spearheading the opening of the firm's South Georgia office in Valdosta. Prior to this role, Jim was a judge in the Superior Court of Georgia starting in 2009, elected by the citizens of the five-county Southern Judicial Circuit. He was re-elected without opposition for two additional terms.

During his tenure as a judge, Jim presided over civil and felony criminal trials, as well as non-jury bench trials and hearings. In his first year on the bench, he developed the Lowndes County Pre-trial Release Program. By 2016, he became the first presiding judge of the Lowndes County Accountability Court, which included drug, mental health, and veterans' court tracts.

In 2018, Jim was chosen by his peers as the Administrative Judge for the 2nd Judicial Administrative District of Georgia and served on the Judicial Council of Georgia, representing the 2nd District. As a member of the Council of Superior Court Judges, he contributed to the executive committee and participated in the Pattern Jury Instruction Committee and the Uniform Rules Committee, notably as vice-chair during revisions of Rule 22 and Rule 41.

Before his judicial career, Jim worked in private practice for two decades, focusing on trial practice. He represented clients in civil disputes and defended individuals in criminal cases, handling matters such as negligence, ERISA, and claims under 42 U.S.C. sec. 1983. Jim has an extensive track record in jury trials, with over 80 cases concluded by jury verdict.

Jim is admitted to practice in all Georgia (1988) and Florida.