meet the judge
Ginny W. Blakeney, Probate Court Judge
Judge Ginny Woodall Blakeney was elected in 2020 and began her first term on January 1, 2021.
Judge Blakeney graduated from Pike County High School and received her BS in Human Services from Gordon State College. She began her employment with Pike County in 2014 working in the Commissioner's Office, which is where her passion for serving the community was established.
Since taking office, Judge Blakeney has been selected by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia to serve as a member of the Probate Court Judges Training Council, instructor for New Judges Orientation Committees, and the Mentoring Committee Chair. Judge Blakeney is also the current District 4 director, and she recently qualified with no opposition for a second term which will begin on January 1, 2025.
History of the Probate Court of Pike County
The Probate Court of Pike County was constitutionally founded in 1823 and was originally known as the Office of the Ordinary. The Ordinary was the original county commissioner, and the office became known as the "catch all court" due to the variety of services provided to the public from the office. If you visit the office today, the original transom window above the door still identifies the room as the Ordinary's Office.
Original court records which are still contained in the vault date back to 1823, and vital records date back to 1919. Most of the items kept in the vault are public record and you are invited to conduct research during regular office hours.
To this day, the Probate Court of Pike County still offers a broad range of services.
The Probate Court of Pike County maintains exclusive jurisdiction over the:
- Probate of wills and the administration of estates of deceased persons
- Appointment of guardians of the person and property of incapacitated adults
- Appointment of guardians of the property of minors
- Appointment, in certain circumstances, of guardians of the person of minors
- Commitment for involuntary treatment of persons addicted to drugs or alcohol and/or suffering from mental illness
The Probate Court of Pike County maintains limited jurisdiction over:
- Certain licenses and permits such as weapons carry licenses, marriage permits, and performing certain administrative duties.
- Limited criminal jurisdiction including traffic cases and game and fish violations.
- Vital Records, the Probate Judge is the Custodian for Pike County
