Andrew Fuller is stepping down from his position as chief judge of the Superior Court for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit, and Kathlene Gosselin will assume the role, according to a letter from Fuller dated July 9, 2018.

Fuller will continue as a judge serving the circuit that includes Hall and Dawson counties.

In the letter, Fuller noted the “wealth of knowledge and leadership that the other superior court judges possess” in his decision to step down. “I, along with Judge (Bonnie) Oliver, Judge (Jason) Deal and Judge (Clint) Bearden, look forward to continuing to be a part of, and contributing to, the judicial circuit that Judge Gosselin will now lead as our chief judge.”

Fuller also stated that the judges work as a unified group to make administrative decisions. Fuller has served as chief judge since 1998.

Neither Fuller nor Gosselin returned phone calls from The Times on Monday.

Gainesville-Northeastern Bar Association President Catherine Hicks lauded Fuller for his “exemplary leadership,” particularly in the work toward the current courthouse, which was finished in 2002.

“The courthouse stands out because that’s such a visual symbol of something that Judge Fuller was instrumental in bringing about … from working with the county commission to the design to carrying it to fruition,” Hicks said.

Fuller has been on the Superior Court bench since July 1993, having previously served as the district attorney for the circuit. Gosselin became a Superior Court judge for the circuit in 1998.

“The judges here have always worked very well together as a team, providing, as far as the bar is concerned, a very unified front. We don’t expect that to change with the change in designation of chief judge to Judge Gosselin,” Hicks said.

Director of Content Shannon Casas contributed to this report