A Georgia judge has taken his own life inside his courtroom.
The body of Judge Stephen Yekel was discovered inside the Effingham County state court room on Tuesday.
Yekel had recently lost a bid for re-election and was found by a deputy on what would have been his last day on the bench.
Officials told WSAV that he fatally shot himself, but an autopsy will be carried out by The Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Yekel was a former assistant district attorney in Chatham County and practicing lawyer with more than 45 years of experience.
Georgia judge Stephen Yekel has taken his own life inside his courtroom
He previously held roles as a special agent with the state’s Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit and was an investigator at the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.
He was appointed to the state court in 2022 and reportedly had tried to resign from his position, but was prevented from doing so by Governor Brian Kemp.
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