Judge Mary T. Cranford: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Hon. Mary T. Cranford (Ret.) was a judge for the Coweta County Probate Court in Georgia. She was elected to the bench in 1984, becoming the first woman judge in Coweta County. Cranford retired in 2019.

Cranford first joined the office of the probate court in 1974 as a part-time probate clerk and was later promoted to the position of chief clerk after being hired on full-time in 1980. At the time, she did not have a formal legal education.

Cranford gained over thirty years of continuing legal education for probate through the Georgia Institute of Continuing Legal Education.

Her memberships have included serving as a past secretary/treasurer of the Fourth District Probate Judges Association and the Council of Probate Judges of Georgia.

Cranford is the recipient of the Outstanding Probate Court Judge award from the Council of Probate Judges of Georgia.

Her civic involvement has included the Newnan Civitan Club, where she is a past president and lifetime member.

Cranford, a mother of one, is a longtime resident of Coweta County and a member of Newnan Presbyterian Church.