This article has been corrected to reflect that the judgeship was previously held by Grady Reddick, not Ed Reddick.
The City of Springfield has a new municipal court judge, but he’s no stranger to the bench.
Judge F. Gates Peed was sworn in as the city’s new judge Tuesday night during the city council meeting. He replaces longtime judge Grady Reddick after the city began accepting applications for the position earlier this year.
Peed is no stranger to the bench. He spent more than two decades on the bench as a superior court judge in the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit, which encompasses Bulloch, Effingham, Jenkins, and Screven counties. Peed was first elected to that position in 2000 and took office in January 2001.
From August 2018 until his December 2024 retirement, Peed was the Chief Judge for the judicial circuit and he was instrumental in assisting the circuit with landing a fourth superior court judge needed to due to growth of the circuit and an expanding case load.
Notably, Peed presided over the Heidt murder trial as well as the Crocker murder cases until 2024, both high profile Effingham County cases.
Peed earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia in 1976 before receiving his law degree from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law in 1982. Before joining the Superior Court, Peed served as solicitor general and later as a State Court judge in Bulloch County.
In his retirement, Peed also serves as a Senior Judge, meaning he can preside over cases in the Ogeechee Circuit and other places when called upon, following an appointment by the Governor.
