Cynthia J. Becker

Cynthia Becker Mello (born February 26, 1957) is a former Georgia Superior Court Judge on the DeKalb Superior Court, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit, from 2000 until March 1, 2015. She presided over several high-profile cases, including the criminal trial of former Sheriff Sidney Dorsey and the release of exonerated Clarence Harrison.

Career

 * DeKalb County Drug Court, Tracks 1 & 2 - Presiding Judge
 * Judge of DeKalb County Superior Court (August 2000 – March 2015)
 * Trial lawyer and partner for Chambers, Mabry (1988 – 2000)

Education

 * University of Central Florida, Bachelor's degree in Finance
 * 1987- Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law

Controversy
Becker announced her resignation from the DeKalb County Superior Court in November, 2014, citing her engagement to be married, under the cloud of a Georgia Judicial Qualification Commission investigation into her handling of a case where she rejected a witness' testimony in a public corruption case.

In August, 2015, a Cobb County, Georgia grand jury indicted Becker on charges that she lied to the state judicial watchdog agency about her handling of that case. The charges were dismissed a few days later and the prosecutor was scolded for seeking the indictment.

Acclamations

 * Master, Bleckley Inn of Court, Georgia State University College of Law
 * Board of Visitors, GSU College of Law
 * 2006 Member of Judicial Workload Assessment Committee and was appointed by Chief Justice Sears
 * Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia - Treatment and Accountability Courts Committee and has also chaired on Public Outreach; Court Security for the 4th Judicial Administrative District, Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, Uniform Rules Committee, the Executive Planning Team, and Special Committee on Other Courts
 * 2007 Transition into Law Practice Program Mentor
 * Judicial Outreach - “Challenges of Being a Single Parent”; Mock Trials for elementary and middle school students
 * Frequent Presenter at professional seminars for Judges, Lawyers, and other legal professionals focusing on: legal ethics, professionalism and implementation and expansion of Accountability and Treatment Courts
 * 2006 Named Law Dragon as one of the leading Judges in the Country
 * 2005 Decatur Rotary Past President, former Vice President of DeKalb Library Foundation, Class of Leadership DeKalb; member of the Southern Center for International Studies
 * Professional Affiliations include: DeKalb Bar Association, DeKalb Lawyers’ Association, Atlanta Bar Association - Judicial Section, President Elect, the Georgia Bar Association, the American Bar Association - Judicial Branch, and the National Association of Women Judges