Georgia Cappleman Husband, Age & Career: What You Need to Know

Georgia Cappleman is a Florida-based Chief Assistant State Attorney best known for leading the prosecution in the decade-long Dan Markel murder-for-hire case. She earned her law degree from Florida State University in 2001 and has spent over 23 years building one of the most respected careers in Florida’s criminal justice system.

Quick Facts

Here is a fast overview of everything publicly known about Georgia Cappleman.

Early Life and Background

Georgia Cappleman grew up in Florida with family roots that run deep in the state’s sports and public life.

She was born around 1976 in Florida. Her father is Bill Cappleman, a former NFL quarterback and FSU football standout. Growing up in that environment, Georgia developed an early appreciation for discipline, preparation, and performance under pressure — skills that would later define her courtroom work.

She pursued her undergraduate education at Florida State University and then went directly to the FSU College of Law, graduating with her Juris Doctor in 2001. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in July 2002, marking the official start of a legal career that has now stretched over two decades.

Her academic focus on criminal procedure laid the groundwork for what would become a career built almost entirely in serious felony prosecution. She has spoken publicly about the influence of her mentors at the State Attorney’s Office, including former State Attorney Willie Meggs, who helped shape her early years as a prosecutor.

Career Journey and Rise to Fame

Georgia Cappleman built her career one serious case at a time, starting from the ground up in the State Attorney’s Office.

She joined the Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit in Tallahassee in 2001, starting as a Deputy Assistant State Attorney. Over the next two decades, she worked her way up through the ranks to become Chief Assistant State Attorney — the number two position in the office.

Her early career included high-profile local cases, including work tied to FSU football matters in 2003. But it was her role in the Dan Markel prosecution that put her name on the national map.

Georgia did not seek that spotlight. In fact, a local public media profile described her as an “unwilling celebrity” who became well known not because she pursued fame, but because the cases she prosecuted demanded national attention. That says a lot about who she is as a professional.

Major Projects and Achievements

Georgia Cappleman’s biggest career achievement is her decade-long role as lead prosecutor in the Dan Markel murder-for-hire case — one of Florida’s most complex and closely watched criminal trials in recent memory.

Dan Markel was an FSU law professor shot and killed in his Tallahassee home in July 2014. Investigators later uncovered a murder-for-hire plot connected to his ex-wife’s family, the Adelsons. The case stretched across multiple trials over nearly a decade, and Georgia served as the state’s lead voice throughout.

Here is a breakdown of the major convictions she secured:

Each trial required its own preparation, strategy, and endurance. In the Charlie Adelson trial, Georgia delivered what many observers called a superb closing argument that dismantled the defense’s extortion theory with clarity and force. In the Donna Adelson trial, she used wiretap evidence and family dynamics to build an airtight narrative, describing the murder plot as a “death by a thousand cuts.”

Beyond the Markel case, she has prosecuted sexual assault cases, domestic violence matters, and homicide trials across Tallahassee for more than 23 years. In December 2024, she received the Eugene Berry Award from the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association — one of the most respected honors in Florida’s legal community.

She also serves as an adjunct professor at FSU Law, teaching Florida Criminal Procedure and Juvenile Justice to the next generation of attorneys.

Net Worth and Income Sources

Georgia Cappleman’s net worth is not publicly documented, which is typical for career government prosecutors.

Her wealth comes entirely from her public sector salary. As Chief Assistant State Attorney, her estimated annual pay in 2025 falls between $120,000 and $160,000, adjusted for her seniority and the cost-of-living increases over her two-plus decades in the role. Florida public records show a similar position was compensated at around $122,000 in 2018, and that figure has likely moved upward since.

She has no reported side businesses, private investments, or commercial endorsements. Her financial profile reflects a career dedicated to public service rather than private gain. Her primary asset, per her 2023 divorce settlement coverage, does not apply here — she is not the same profile as a celebrity with diversified income streams.

Personal Life and Relationships

Georgia Cappleman keeps her personal life private, and that is a deliberate choice she has maintained throughout her career.

Public records and Florida legal reporting connect her to the surname Chaires, with records supporting the name Todd Chaires as her husband. In a public media interview, Georgia herself referenced “my husband” in describing a fan encounter that happened while she was grocery shopping — a moment she recounted with humor at a public speaking event, saying her husband caught someone recording her in a supermarket aisle without her knowledge.

The couple has kept the details of their relationship entirely out of the public eye. No confirmed information about children is publicly available, as Georgia has consistently chosen to separate her family life from her professional identity.

That approach is not unusual for a senior prosecutor handling violent felony cases. Security concerns, professional ethics, and personal preference all point in the same direction — keeping family details private. Georgia’s public identity is built entirely on her work, and she clearly prefers it that way.

Lifestyle, Hobbies and Philanthropy

Georgia Cappleman lives and works in Tallahassee, Florida, where her professional and community life are closely connected.

Outside the courtroom, she gives back through education and advocacy. She serves on the Board of Refuge House, a Tallahassee-based organization that supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. That involvement reflects the same values she brings to her prosecutorial work — standing firmly on the side of victims.

She coaches mock trial competitions and mentors young attorneys, both inside the State Attorney’s Office and through her teaching role at FSU Law. She has spoken at FSU on ethical dilemmas in prosecution, drawing directly from her own case experience to give students a realistic picture of what the job demands.

She has also appeared on podcasts discussing the Markel case, where her candid breakdowns of evidence and courtroom strategy gave audiences a rare inside look at how a complex prosecution actually gets built.

Lesser-Known Facts About Georgia Cappleman

A few things about Georgia that you probably did not know.

Her father, Bill Cappleman, played quarterback for Florida State University and briefly played in the NFL, giving her a family connection to FSU that runs much deeper than just law school.

She handled FSU football-related cases in 2003, early in her career, which put her in a sensitive public position given her family background — and she handled it without controversy.

She has used the phrase “goat rope” in open court to describe the chaos of a complex trial, a moment that stuck with legal observers covering the Donna Adelson proceedings.

She described the Markel murder plot in closing arguments as a “death by a thousand cuts,” a line that became widely quoted in trial coverage.

She was considered for a circuit transfer to Gadsden County in 2019 but remained with the Second Judicial Circuit, where she has spent her entire career.

Despite earning national media coverage through the Markel trials, she has no Wikipedia page of her own. She is only referenced in articles about the case and her father’s entry.

Final Thoughts

Georgia Cappleman is not famous because she sought the spotlight. She is well known because she did her job so well, for so long, in cases that demanded national attention. She earned her law degree in 2001, joined the State Attorney’s Office the same year, and has stayed there for over two decades — rising to Chief Assistant State Attorney while securing life sentences for the people behind one of Florida’s most shocking murder-for-hire plots. Her husband, connected publicly to the name Todd Chaires, stays well out of the public eye, just as Georgia prefers. She is, at her core, a prosecutor — and everything else comes second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Georgia Cappleman’s husband?

Public records and Florida legal reporting connect Georgia Cappleman to a man named Todd Chaires. She has confirmed she is married in public interviews but has never shared details about her spouse or personal life beyond that.

How old is Georgia Cappleman in 2025?

Georgia Cappleman was born around 1976, which puts her at approximately 49 years old in 2025. Her exact birth date is not publicly confirmed in any official source.

What is Georgia Cappleman famous for?

Georgia Cappleman is best known as the lead prosecutor in the Dan Markel murder-for-hire case in Tallahassee, Florida. She secured convictions against Katherine Magbanua, Charlie Adelson, and Donna Adelson between 2022 and 2025.

What is Georgia Cappleman’s salary?

As Chief Assistant State Attorney in Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit, Georgia Cappleman’s estimated annual salary in 2025 ranges between $120,000 and $160,000. Her income comes entirely from her government role with no known private business ventures.

Where did Georgia Cappleman go to law school?

Georgia Cappleman earned her Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law in 2001. She was admitted to the Florida Bar in July 2002 and joined the State Attorney’s Office the same year, where she has worked ever since.