Title 15

(a) The jurisdiction of the judges of the superior courts is coextensive with the limits of this state; they may act in circuits other than their own when authorized by law, but they are not compelled to alternate unless required by law. (b) The authority granted in subsection (a…

(a) When from any cause a judge of the superior court is disqualified from presiding in a matter, he shall procure the services of another superior court judge to try the matter, even if he has to call for a special term of court for that purpose. (b) Failure of a judge to comply …

(a) When from any cause the judge of the superior court or any city court is disqualified from presiding in any civil case and has failed to procure the services of a judge to try the case, then the parties litigant, by consent, may select any attorney of this state to preside in …

(a) Whenever it is satisfactorily made to appear to the Governor that any regular term of the superior court, as fixed by law, in any county, will not be held or continued in session because of the bodily or mental sickness or other disability of the judge of the superior court of…

No judge of the superior courts shall have authority to perform any judicial act required of him by law when he is beyond the jurisdiction of this state. History. — Orig. Code 1863, § 248; Code 1868, § 242; Code 1873, § 253; Code 1882, § 253; Civil Code 1895, § 4330; Civil Code 1…

(a) One or more of the judges of the superior courts must hold the superior court of each circuit at the county site and courthouse, if any, of each county in the respective judicial circuit or at some other place at the county site designated by law not less than twice each year…

(a) If for any cause it shall or may be impracticable to hold any session or sitting of any superior or state court at the courthouse or other place provided by law therefor, it shall be lawful to hold court and any session or sitting thereof at such place as the proper authoriti…

— In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, annotations decided prior to the amendment to Code Section 15-6-19 passed by Ga. L. 1972, p. 713, which changed the terms of court, are included in the annotations for this Code section. Judgment not void if rendered at co…

The number of judges for each of the superior courts for each of the judicial circuits shall be as follows: (1) Alapaha Circuit .................................................... 2 (2) Alcovy Circuit ...................................................... 5 (2.1) Appalachian Cir…

The judges of the superior courts may, in their discretion, hold special terms of court in any county within their respective circuits when the business requires it to close the dockets and may, in the exercise of a sound discretion, cause new juries to be drawn for the same or m…

(a) In a county with less than 100,000 inhabitants, it shall be the duty of the judge of the superior, state, or city court, unless providentially hindered or unless counsel for the plaintiff and the defendant agree in writing to extend the time, to decide promptly, within 30 day…

(a) The judge may, during a term of court, adjourn the court to such time as he may think fit. (b) In case of unavoidable accidents, whereby the superior court in any county is not held at the time appointed for holding the same, the clerk of court shall adjourn the court from day…

Any judge of the superior courts may sign any document connected with the official duties of his office in any county comprising a part of his circuit, including all writs, orders, judgments, and warrants required to be signed by the judge. The document may be signed by the judge…

(a) Any contingent expenses incurred in holding any session of the superior court, including lights, fuel, stationery, rent, publication of grand jury presentments when ordered published, and similar items, such as taking down testimony in felony cases, etc., shall be paid out of…

(a) Each superior court judge is authorized to employ a secretary. (b) All personnel actions involving secretaries appointed pursuant to this Code section shall be in accordance with the provisions of Code Section 15-6-27. History. — Ga. L. 1972, p. 617, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 1506…

(a) All state paid personnel employed by the superior court judges pursuant to this article shall be employees of the judicial branch of state government and shall be in the unclassified service as defined by Code Section 45-20-2. (b) Personnel employed pursuant to this Code sectio…

(a) The chief judge of each judicial circuit is authorized to employ either one law assistant or one court administrator for the circuit. Each judicial circuit is authorized to employ additional law assistants and administrators subject to availability of funds. (b) The chief jud…

(b) The annual salary shall be the total compensation to be paid by the state to the superior court judges and shall be in lieu of any and all other amounts to be paid from The Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia, except as provided in Code Sections 15-6-29.1, 15-6-30, an…

The terms of court for the superior courts for each of the judicial circuits shall commence as follows: (1) Alapaha Circuit: (A) Atkinson County — First Monday in April and October. (B) Berrien County — First Monday in February and August. (C) Clinch County — Third Monday in Marc…

(a) The judges of the superior courts of this state shall be entitled to receive, in addition to the compensation provided by law, reimbursement of travel expenses incurred when such a judge attends any court in his or her judicial circuit other than the court in the county of th…

Effective July 1, 2008, the ministerial functions of the commissioner of administrative services or of the Department of Administrative Services relating to the payment of salaries, benefits, and expenses of superior court judges, and other state paid personnel authorized by this …

Any other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the judges and senior judges of the superior courts of this state are authorized to accept and receive from funds appropriated for the operation of the superior courts to the extent not eligible for reimbursement from funds appropria…

The several judges of the superior courts may convene at the seat of government once each year, at such time as they or a majority of them may appoint, for the purpose of recommending to the General Assembly the establishment of uniform rules of practice throughout the several ci…

(a) There is created a superior court judges’ council to be known as ‘‘The Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia.’’ The council shall be composed of the judges, senior judges, and judges emeriti of the superior courts of this state. The council is authorized to organize its…

The sheriff shall have the right to select such bailiffs, with the approval of the court, as may be necessary to transact properly the business thereof. Whenever the public interests require it, the judge shall have the power to appoint such additional bailiffs as the judge deems…

(a) For the purposes of this Code section, ‘‘conviction’’ means any felony conviction of a person who is at least 17 years of age. (b) Within 30 days of any proceeding ending in a conviction, the superior court shall provide written notice of the conviction to the school superint…

(a) No individual shall be judge of the superior courts unless, at the time of his or her election, he or she has attained the age of 30 years, has been a citizen of the state for three years, has practiced law for seven years, and is a member in good standing with the State Bar …

Each judge of the superior courts shall be elected by the electors of the judicial circuit in which the judge is to serve. History. — Code 1981, § 15-6-4.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1987, p. 328, § 1.

Following their election, the judges of the superior courts are prohibited from practicing law in any of the courts of this state, provided that they may practice until their qualification in any case in which they may have been actually employed before their election. They are al…

Before entering on the duties of their office, superior court judges must take the oath required of all civil officers and in addition they must take the following oath: ‘‘I swear that I will administer justice without respect to person and do equal rights to the poor and the ric…

A person who has been elected a judge of the superior courts of any circuit cannot be deprived of his office by attachment of the county in which he resides to a different judicial circuit; such person may continue to discharge the duties of his office as though he resided in the…

The superior courts have authority: (1) To exercise original, exclusive, or concurrent jurisdiction, as the case may be, of all causes, both civil and criminal, granted to them by the Constitution and laws; (2) To exercise the powers of a court of equity; (3) To exercise appellat…

The judges of the superior courts have authority: (1) To grant for their respective circuits writs of certiorari, supersedeas, quo warranto, mandamus, habeas corpus, and bail in actions ex delicto; (2) To entertain bills quia timet; (3) To grant writs of injunction, prohibition, …

No agreement by a clerk to acquire services, supplies, or equipment authorized by this article that requires expenditure of county funds may be entered into unless the funds to be obligated are included in the budget of the county for the operation of the clerk’s office at the ti…

(a) The clerks of superior courts shall be elected for a term of four years. (b)(1) No person shall be eligible to offer for election to or hold the office of clerk of the superior court unless he: (A) Is a citizen of the United States; (B) Is a resident of the county in which he…

(a) The Superior Court Clerks Training Council is established. The council shall consist of nine voting members and three nonvoting members and shall be composed as follows: (1) Nine voting members shall be elected to terms of four years by the members of the Superior Court Clerk…

(a) There is created a superior court clerks’ council to be known as ‘‘The Council of Superior Court Clerks of Georgia.’’ The council shall be composed of the clerks of the superior courts of this state. The council is authorized to organize itself and to develop a constitution a…

The clerk of superior court shall be eligible to hold the office of clerk of the municipal, state, or other court in the counties of their residence, on taking the oath and giving bond and security as prescribed by law. History. — Ga. L. 1893, p. 106, § 1; Civil Code 1895, § 4349…

The clerks of the superior courts are prohibited from practicing law in their own or another’s name, as a partner or otherwise, in any court except in their own case. History. — Laws 1799, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 574; Code 1863, § 250; Code 1868, § 244; Ga. L. 1871-72, p. 23, § 1;…

(a) In any county in which a chief deputy clerk has been appointed pursuant to Code Section 15-6-59, the chief deputy clerk shall become the clerk of superior court if the clerk of superior court dies, resigns, is removed from office pursuant to the provisions of Code Section 45-…

(a) If as a result of any sudden emergency there is a vacancy in the office of clerk of superior court, and a person who meets the qualifications for a clerk of superior court as set forth in Code Section 15-6-50 cannot immediately fill the vacancy pursuant to Code Section 15-6-53,…

Should any two or more candidates at an election to fill a vacancy in the office of superior court clerk, or at a regular election, have the highest and an equal number of votes, the judge of the probate court shall set a date and advertise another election in the manner prescribe…

(a) The clerks of superior courts, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, whether appointed, elected, or acting by operation of law besides the oath required of all civil officers, must take and subscribe to the following oath: ‘‘I do swear or affirm that I will trul…

(a) The clerk of each of the superior courts shall execute bond in the sum of $150,000.00, which amount may be increased in any county by local Act or by an ordinance or resolution of the governing authority. (b) The clerks of superior courts shall have the power to appoint a dep…

The clerks of the superior courts have authority: (1) To administer oaths and take affidavits in all cases permitted by law or where such authority is not confined to some other officer; (2) To receive the amounts of all costs due in the court of which they are clerks and to recei…

(a) As the county constitutional officer elected by citizens of his or her county to protect and preserve their court and land records, the clerk of superior court is the sole custodian of all original filed records that the clerk is required by law to retain in his or her office …