Hon. Benjamin W. Studdard, III (Ret.) was the Chief Judge for the Henry County State Court in Georgia. He joined the bench a year after its inception in 1998. Studdard retired in 2021.
During his judicial tenure, Studdard traveled with other Georgia judges to the country of Georgia to train its local judges.
Prior to joining the bench, he was a partner in the law firm of Smith, Welch & Studdard (now Smith, Welch, Webb & White), where his areas of practice included civil and criminal litigation, real estate and wills, divorce, auto accidents, as well as representing government agencies. In addition, Studdard served as the attorney for the City of Hampton.
He received a bachelor’s degree in English from Mercer University. Studdard went on to complete a J.D. at Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law.
He is the author of a Georgia criminal trial practice treatise, and he spent time as a continuing legal education instructor. Over the course of his legal career, Studdard gained a reputation as an authority on criminal law in Georgia.
Following his retirement, he hoped to continue his work in the country of Georgia, fill in as a senior judge on an as-needed basis, and carry on with his writing and teaching.
Studdard, a native of Henry County, was raised in Hampton and later moved to Luella in 1990. Growing up, his late father, Ben Studdard, Jr., worked as a computer programmer, and his mother, Sandi, was a nurse at the health department. Studdard graduated from Henry County High School.
He and his wife, Sherri, have four grown daughters, including a set of twins. They are longtime members of McDonough United Methodist Church. In his free time, Studdard enjoys traveling with his wife and running in marathons and half-marathons.