The Mountain Judicial Circuit is one step closer to adding a third judge. The state Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday unanimously voted in favor of a bill that would add an additional judge to help alleviate case backlogs in Habersham, Rabun, and Stephens counties.
The Mountain Judicial Circuit is listed among the top three circuits in the state with the highest caseloads, according to Sen. Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia). He’s sponsoring Senate Bill 395 which would create a third judgeship in the circuit and provide state funding for the position. The bill would also allow the judges to appoint an additional court reporter.
While presenting the bill to the committee on Monday, Hatchett explained that the Judicial Workload Assessment Committee – a standing committee of the Judicial Council of Georgia – has a formula to evaluate the caseload in each of the state’s 50 judicial circuits.
“Right now, the Mountain Judicial Circuit ranks number three in need,” he said.
According to Hatchett, there are eight judicial circuits that presently qualify for an additional judge. Those circuits are South Georgia, Blue Ridge, Mountain, Coweta, Clayton, Atlantic, Northern, and Atlanta. The governor’s budget includes funding for three of them: Mountain, Blue Ridge, and South Georgia.
The bills for the two other new circuit judges are being introduced in the House.
If approved by the legislature, Hatchett’s bill would provide state funding for a third Mountain Judicial Circuit judge effective July first of this year, but the position would not be filled until next year. The governor would appoint a judge to serve from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024, after which time an elected judge would begin a four-year term.
The bill now goes to the Senate Rules Committee.
