A decide was discovered lifeless in a Georgia courtroom on what was to have been his final day on the job, authorities stated Tuesday.
Effingham County Sheriff’s deputies discovered State Court Judge Stephen Yekel, 74, on Tuesday morning. He seems to have died by suicide, the sheriff’s workplace stated.
Yekel, who was appointed to the bench two years in the past by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, misplaced his election bid earlier this 12 months. His time period was scheduled to finish Dec. 31, 2024.
“The household’s distraught,” Effingham County Sheriff Jimmy McDuffie informed reporters Tuesday. “It’s imagined to be a contented time this time of 12 months and now they’ve bought this.”
McDuffie stated considered one of his deputies found Yekel’s physique after authorities have been dispatched to the courthouse on a report of a doable suicide at 10:20 a.m. It seems Yekel could have died Monday night time, he stated.
Court was not in session Tuesday, the sheriff stated, including that Yekel’s post-mortem shall be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Yekel was admitted to the state bar on June 14, 1976, and was in good standing on the time of his demise, bar data present.
He presided over preliminary legal issues and different instances in Springfield, roughly 26 miles north of Savannah.
In a Dec. 2 letter to Kemp, Yekel pointed to his failed election effort and requested to resign, a replica of the notice reveals. Yekel received the preliminary spherical of voting in May however misplaced in a runoff.
Yekel requested for the efficient date of his resignation to be Dec. 30, in the future earlier than the tip of his time period, a replica of the notice reveals.
“I really feel that the workplace of State Court Judge of Effingham is just too necessary to be determined by solely 6% of the eligible voters of Effingham County,” he stated.
Kemp rejected his request, saying the outcomes of a good election “shouldn’t be nullified on the idea of manufactured authorized technicality.”
A spokesperson for Kemp declined to touch upon the investigation, citing an open investigation, however stated “Judge Yekel’s household and family members are in all our ideas and prayers throughout this tough time.”
If you or somebody you already know is in disaster, name or textual content 988 to succeed in the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat stay at 988lifeline.org. You may also go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for extra assist.
