Kemp appoints two new judges to Muscogee County State Court
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- Gov. Kemp appoints judges David Ranieri and Alex Shalishali to Muscogee County State Court.
- Ranieri replaces resigned Judge Prather; Shalishali fills newly created position from 2026 legislation.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has announced the appointment of two new judges to the State Court of Muscogee County, filling vacancies created by a judicial resignation and legislation passed during the 2026 Georgia General Assembly session.
The appointments include Judge David Ranieri and attorney Alex Shalishali, who will both serve on the State Court of Muscogee County.
Kemp also announced the appointment of Judge Paul K. Cook to the Superior Court of the Middle Judicial Circuit.
Ranieri’s appointment fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Andy Prather. Shalishali’s appointment fills a newly created vacancy resulting from the passage of House Bill 1258, also known as Act 661, during the 2026 legislative session.
Ranieri currently serves as chief judge of the Recorder’s Court of Columbus. A Columbus native, he began his legal career in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps before spending more than 21 years as a prosecutor.
During his career, Ranieri handled misdemeanor and felony cases in the U.S. Army, the Muscogee County Solicitor General’s Office and the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office. He also spent more than nine years in private practice, primarily handling civil litigation involving personal injury, construction, medical malpractice, transportation, insurance coverage, workers’ compensation and business disputes.
Ranieri graduated cum laude from Mercer University in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in political science before earning his Juris Doctor from Mercer University School of Law in 1988.
He is a past president of the Columbus Bar Association and currently serves on its executive committee. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Columbus and previously chaired the New Horizons Behavioral Health Board of Directors.
Ranieri and his wife, Katrina, have a blended family of six children and two grandchildren.
Shalishali has practiced law with Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford, P.C., since 2012, where he is a shareholder and attorney. His practice focuses on representing local governments and businesses in complex litigation and regulatory matters.
He currently serves as the Dougherty County Attorney, overseeing the county’s legal affairs, advising the Board of Commissioners and county staff, and handling governmental, transactional and litigation matters.
Shalishali previously served as an assistant magistrate judge for the Muscogee County Magistrate Court, where he presided over civil matters and criminal arraignments.
He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2012 and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs.
Shalishali previously served as president of the Fountain City Bar Association and chairman of the Board of Trustees for the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. He currently serves on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Georgia, along with the boards of Emanuel Preparatory School of Math and Science and the Columbus Botanical Garden.
He is also a graduate of Leadership Georgia’s Class of 2016 and has been named a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star five times.
Shalishali and his wife, Willette, have two daughters.
In addition to the Muscogee County appointments, Kemp named Cook to the Superior Court of the Middle Judicial Circuit. That appointment fills a vacancy created by the passage of House Bill 1215, also known as Act 450, during the 2026 legislative session.
Cook has served as a judge on the State Court of Toombs County since January 2021. He also serves as a municipal court judge in six cities, sits by designation on the Superior Court of the Middle Judicial Circuit and presides over conflict cases in the State Court of Candler County.
Cook also operates the Cook Law Firm, LLC, in Vidalia, handling cases ranging from criminal defense to family law.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Auburn University in 1992 and his Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1997.
Cook and his wife of 32 years, Mary Beth, have two adult sons.
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