MEET JUDGE CHuck EATON

Judge Eaton was elected statewide three times, serving Georgia for 14 years on the Public Service Commission. The PSC is a powerful, quasi-judicial body which regulates utilities in Georgia. He presided over the 80 employee agency, as its Chairman for half the time he was there, having been unanimously elected by his colleagues. His time on the Commission and the importance of administrative law and procedure in its deliberations led then-Commissioner Eaton to attend law school.

“Recent cases like the United States Supreme Court’s review of federal vaccine mandates by an agency underscore the impact and importance that administrative law and procedure play in modern government. As the only sitting Fulton County Superior Court Judge to have headed a state agency, I have a unique perspective on how these issues can be understood.” Because many of Georgia’s administrative agencies are headquartered in Fulton County, its Superior Court hears more cases involving administrative law and procedure.

Of 28 applicants for his seat on the Fulton Superior Court, Judge Eaton was one of three recommended by the Judicial Qualifications Commission.  After a thorough interview process, he was appointed by Governor Kemp. 

Chuck and Erika Eaton have fostered infant babies who were in DFCS custody for many years. Over the years, they fostered four children, running from a few weeks to years. Their last foster baby was born at Grady Hospital and joined the Eaton family within days of her birth, eventually becoming a permanent member of the Eaton family. Today, she is a thriving four-year old little girl. “One of the life-changing moments I’ve experienced in our Fulton courts was when we adopted our youngest daughter,” said Eaton. “It enlarged my understanding of the role courts can play and will affect me for the rest of my life.”

In 2008, he was chosen by The Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the "100 Most Influential Atlantans."  Georgia Trend Magazine selected him as one of the "100 Most Influential Georgians" in 2016 and 2021.

Judge Eaton earned an accounting degree from the University of Alabama and a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law, where he attended at night while working full-time and raising his family.

Charles and Erika Eaton live in Atlanta with their two daughters.