The Hon. Ralph Van Pelt, Jr. is a judge for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Superior Court in Georgia. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Zell Miller in 1996, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Joe Tucker.
The Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit includes Catoosa, Chattooga, Walker, and Dade Counties.
Prior to his appointment, Van Pelt was the District Attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, a position to which he was selected in 1989.
Van Pelt earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Berry College in 1977. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Georgia School of Law in 1980.
After graduating from law school, Van Pelt joined the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office as an assistant district attorney.
Van Pelt has two children and four grandchildren. When not presiding over legal matters, he enjoys reading historical, religious, and philosophical texts. He also gardens, cooks, hikes, and maintains trails.
He is registered as a Democrat.