Rockdale County Juvenile Court Judge Maureen Wood appointed for second term

Rockdale County Judge Maureen E. Wood has been appointed to a second term as Juvenile Court Judge.

Chief Judge David B. Irwin announced the appointment today (Aug. 14). Wood’s second term will become effective on Oct.1.

During her first term, Wood continued the expansion of Rehabilitative Court Services and added two accountability courts:  Family Treatment Court and Resource Court (Juvenile Mental Health Court).

Under Wood’s direction, the court’s Children in Need of Services (CHINS) protocol was modified to comply with 2014 code changes. The changes allow CHINS youths to be placed under informal agreements that connect youths and their families with community services and providers, instead of being subjected to formal court orders, incarceration or probation.

Wood alsocreated Project GLOW (Girls Learning Our Worth), a 12-week program for medium and high-risk girls.  The program provides educational field trips and sessions from community leaders. Wood expanded the programming offered at the Evening Reporting Center andnow, along with the evening programming,  daytime programming is provided for probated youths who have been suspended from school, dropped out, or expelled. Wood implemented the SOAR program (Safety Outreach Assistance Referrals for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. Youths who are suspected victims of human sex trafficking are identified, tested for sexually transmitted infections, and connected with an individual behavioral therapist.

Additionally, Wood has expanded community service from trash pickup to include youths who are now serving at a local food bank  by re-stocking shelves and carrying groceries to vehicles.

Wood has served on the Council of Juvenile Court Judges Executive Committee as District 4 representative for 2018 and 2019.  In 2019 and 2020, she was chosen to represent the Juvenile Court Judges on the Supreme Court Judicial Council’s Ad Hoc Committee to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Judicial Branch of Government, as well as the Administrative office of Courts Access to Justice Committee, and was recently selected to represent the Juvenile Court Judges on the Supreme Court Judicial Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Cybersecurity.

Wood and her husband, David, have their three daughters.