Brookhaven Mayor J. Max Davis has sworn in the city’s first judges.

Former Cobb County magistrate judge Laura Stevenson was appointed as Brookhaven’s chief judge and Jonathan Granade as judge pro tem on Feb. 12 at the city council meeting.

Stevenson, who obtained her juris doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law, is a solo practitioner at her law firm, Law Office of Laura E. Stevenson. Her areas of practice include commercial disputes, employment, ERISA and COBRA claims, consumer credit and civil rights.

She has held various faculty, speaker and moderator positions in her profession. Stevenson and her family are residents of Brookhaven.

Granade is a Brookhaven resident and shareholder with law firm Casey Gilson P.C. where he represents governmental entities and employees and private businesses and individuals in various litigation matters. Before joining Casey Gilson in 2003, Granade served as an assistant district attorney in the Toombs Judicial Circuit near Augusta where he prosecuted hundreds of cases in superior, probate and municipal courts.

He provided training and advice to law enforcement agencies including sheriff’s departments, municipal police departments, and the Georgia State Patrol. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Emory University School of Law.

Davis also made his first committee appointments at the council meeting. Stan Segal, a retired senior executive in the information technology industry, was named chairman of the planning commission. Also appointed to the planning commission were Shannon Cameron, John Funny, Rob Francour, John Hess, Jack Hondred and Adrian Schmidt.

Tim Nama was named chairman of the zoning board of appeals. Nama is a founding partner in Mayfield Signature Homes, which has built more than 500 homes in DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties. Hope Bawcom, Jed Beardsley, Don Bolia, Kent Gipson, Corey Self and Glenn Viers were also appointed to the zoning board of appeals.

Joseph Patin was appointed chairman of the alcohol board. Additional members will be added in the future, according to city officials.