For only the second time in the City of Brundidge’s Municipal Court history, there will be a new city prosecutor in the courtroom.

After 31 and half years, Joseph Faulk retired as city prosecutor for the Municipal Court of Brundidge on Dec. 31, 2014.

On the recommendation of Mayor Jimmy Ramage, the Brundidge City Council appointed Steven Curtis of Troy the city’s new prosecutor.

“Mr. Faulk has been a good advocate for the city,” Ramage said. “He has always shown compassion for victims and has been fair to his defendants. He has been a loyal, dedicated and effective officer of the court and will be greatly missed.”

Ramage said Curtis is a very capable replacement for Faulk.

“Steven Curtis is a very knowledgably and experienced attorney,” Ramage said. “He has been with the law firm, Calhoun, Faulk and Curtis, for several years so, I’m sure Mr. Faulk will be around to give guidance, if needed, as we move forward in this transition.

“We hate to see Mr. Faulk retire and leave us but we are proud to have Mr. Curtis and look forward to a long relationship with him.”

Faulk was appointed city prosecutor on July 1, 1981 and served almost without fail for more than three decades. Trials are held on the third Wednesday of the month and Faulk missed only one trial night in all those years and that was when he had the flu.

“Sometimes my wife, Peggy, would have something for us to do on the third Wednesday night and I would remind her that I had court in Brundidge,” Faulk said. “It was important for me to be there. Otherwise, there would be a month’s delay in the cases coming before the court and I didn’t want that to happen.”

Faulk, laughingly, said his wife often remarked that she couldn’t die or be buried on the third Wednesday of the month because he had court in Brundidge.

“Serving as prosecutor for the Municipal Court in Brundidge was a good experience and it was fun,” Faulk said. “I enjoyed working with Municipal Judge Don Dickert, Faye Terry and Nikki Simmons and the Brundidge Police Department.”

Faulk said, during his 30-plus years in Brundidge, he got to meet and know a lot of people.

“And, some of them were repeat ‘customers,’” he said, laughing and added, hopefully, Curtis won’t get to know those same “customers.”

Curtis was “in court” in Brundidge when it met in January but Wednesday will his first “official” court appearance.

“Wednesday night will be the first cases I have prosecuted since I was appointed by the city council,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with Judge Dickert and all of those involved in the city’s municipal court.”

Curtis, laughingly, said he’s not sure he will best Faulk’s longevity record of 31-plus years but he hopes to be the prosecutor for the Municipal Court of Brundidge for a long time.

“I’m from Troy so I don’t have any other plans,” he said.

Curtis has 16 years of experience including criminal defense. He expects his experience in criminal defense to be beneficial as the city prosecutor.