• Her last day coincides with qualifying period for Superior Court Judge seat held by Judge Meng Lim
• Judge Wheale’s lawsuit still in appeals after losing in federal district court

Look for a new appointment to come down soon as the head of the Juvenile Courts is about to change for Polk and Haralson counties.

Multiple sources have reached out to Polk Today to confirm the news that Tallapoosa Circuit Juvenile Court Judge Laura Lundy Wheale is planning to resign from her seat on the bench, and her last day will be on March 8.

That was confirmed when Judge Wheale sent out her letter of resignation, which was as follows:

“It has been my honor to serve the families of our community over the past three years – a community that molded me and to whom I want to serve,” her letter read. “Again, thank you.”

Multiple sources at the courthouse said the resignation decision was announced by an email sent out by Tallapoosa Circuit Superior Judge Meng Lim to Superior Court Judge Mark Murphy and Judge Wheale on Tuesday. The copy of her resignation letter provided today was dated February 7.

Appointed in 2019 by Judge Meng Lim to serve as the head of Polk and Haralson counties juvenile courts, she came into the role with no previous experience heading up a courtroom and handing down decisions though had been practicing law for several years.

Yet just months after she was appointed, she was claiming discrimination and filing suit against Polk and Haralson counties, and even the state when her pay was set lower than that of her predecessor.

In the lawsuit filed first in state court, then federal court, Judge Wheale asserted that she was due equal pay as her predecessor who had more than 20 years experience as the Circuit’s Juvenile Court Judge, even though she hadn’t been in office a year.

She also alleged in the lawsuit that officials from both counties had kept her out of the loop on budget discussions, was not given access to computers, and wasn’t given proper funding to hire an assistant. Judge Wheale had previously filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint against the counties.

She also added the State of Georgia to the proceedings as well alleging that both were involved in sexual discrimination against her, without giving the state the opportunity to defend itself in the EEOC complaint.

Judge Wheale’s case was tossed from the Federal District court in September 2021, but an appeal remains underway in the case per a source with information about the legal fight.

Wheale did state in her resignation letter she feels the court has accomplished much despite what she characterized as mistreatment by both counties, reducing backlog and improving services to juveniles and families who are coming before her court for a variety of reasons. The Family Treatment Court, for example, does show progress made during her tenure and she thanked the “Herculean” effort of her staff.

“I’ve tried my best to ferry this court and the selfless staff members who were willing to work with me during the COVID pandemic,” she stated in her resignation letter to Judge Lim dated February 7.

“I also have tried to live up to my commitment to the community, but I feel the refusal of the Counties to treat me – and by extension, this Court and staff – equally does a disservice to the interests of this Court and the families of this community at an unjustified cost to me, personally, and to my family.”

Wheale holds her degree from the law school at Cumberland L.S./Samford and has been a practicing attorney since 2013, and was a JSU grad in 2010. She also worked as an actress prior to her role in the courts locally.

Either by coincidence or design, Judge Wheale’s resignation comes just as qualifying is set to open for the Superior Court seat held by Chief Judge Lim.

Judge Lim, despite ongoing issues with the Judicial Qualifications Commission, has been keeping up a campaign online ahead of qualifying that he will seek a new term in office on the bench.

No other challengers have yet announced their intentions to run.

Her resignation letter above, and the email she sent, does not include any additional plans or thoughts beyond her previous assertions of her unfair treatment. We have asked for additional clarification, but had not yet received a response as of this posting.