ATLANTA – Dalton’s Charlie Bethel was sworn in Tuesday as a Georgia Supreme Court justice, becoming Gov. Nathan Deal’s fifth appointee on the state’s highest court.

The 42-year-old judge became emotional when talking about his hometown, his parents and his family in a speech given shortly after his swearing-in ceremony in the chamber of the state House of Representatives.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Dalton,” he said. “It is a great place. It is my home.”

Bethel, who served on the state Court of Appeals for nearly two years, was a city councilman before representing Whitfield and Murray counties for several years in the state senate, where the Republican was also a floor leader for Deal.

Bethel also shared his thoughts on what makes a good judge: respect for the law and what he called a “healthy self-doubt.”

“The Declaration (of Independence) says we are to resist tyrants, and the Constitution says, ‘God, please help us from becoming tyrants ourselves,’” Bethel said.

“So a good judge must have enough self-doubt to stay in their own lane, to believe in separation of powers, to understand the job of judge is to apply the law as it is, not as the judge would have it be,” he added.

He also said, speaking to the children present, the important thing is not the title or the new lapel pin that comes with it.

“You are important because of how you treat people, because of how you do what you do, not what you do,” Bethel said. “That’s the important thing in this world.”

When asked afterwards if he planned to spend the rest of his career on the state Supreme Court, Bethel said: “I have a faith that teaches me that my job is to respond to ‘call’ and so I don’t ever like to think in terms of ‘forever’ because that’s not really my call. But I don’t have any other plan to be anywhere else. My plan is to do this job for as long as I’m called to this place.”

Bethel replaces Harris Hines, who has retired. His appointment means Deal, who is wrapping up his final year in office, has now named the majority of the nine-member judicial panel. All said, Republican governors have appointed seven of the sitting justices.

State lawmakers expanded the court in 2016. It was a change proponents argued was needed to help the court keep up with the state’s growth.

Bethel said he sees the expanded court as a way to minimize mistakes, since there are now two additional justices, along with their staff, focused on the cases before them. He also noted that the makeup mirrors the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as other state supreme courts.

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites.