HB93: HB93 Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide additional judge

The Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit currently has two superior court judges under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2). This bill would raise that number to three by amending the state code section that sets how many judges each circuit gets. The Governor would appoint the new judge to serve from July 1, 2025 until December 31, 2026. Voters would then pick a successor in the 2026 nonpartisan judicial election, with that winner taking office January 1, 2027 for a four year term, and every four years after that through regular elections. The bill also spells out how candidates must run for a specific judge's seat, gives the new judge the same powers and pay as the circuit's other judges, allows the judges to divide up casework and pick a chief judge, and lets the circuit hire an extra court reporter. Local counties would have to provide office space and staff for the new judge. Most of the bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

• Increases the number of superior court judges in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit from two to three by amending O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2.
• Has the Governor appoint the new judge for a term running from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, until a successor is elected.
• Requires the new judge's successor to be chosen in the 2026 nonpartisan judicial election and to serve four year terms after that, like other judges.
• Requires candidates for the circuit's judgeships to declare which specific seat (which incumbent's seat) they are running for.
• Gives the new judge the same pay, powers, and duties as the circuit's existing judges and lets the circuit hire an additional court reporter.
• Requires the counties in the circuit to provide courtrooms, office space, equipment, and staff for the new judge.

The change directly affects the counties that make up the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit, which must fund and staff the new judgeship, as well as the circuit's current and future superior court judges, court reporters, candidates for judicial office, and residents with cases in that circuit's courts.

Adding a third judge could speed up how quickly civil and criminal cases move through the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit's superior courts, but it also means local counties must pay for and provide office space, staff, and equipment for the new judge and an added court reporter.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2 to change the Tallapoosa Circuit's judge count from 2 to 3.
• Section 2 sets the appointment term (July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026) and establishes the 2026 election and later four-year election cycle for the seat.
• Section 3 requires judicial candidates in the circuit to designate the specific seat, naming the incumbent, they are running to succeed.
• Section 5 sets the new judge's qualifications, salary, and expense allowance equal to the circuit's other judges, including local salary supplements.
• Section 7 lets the circuit's judges adopt shared rules and divide case workload, with majority rule or the senior judge as chief judge deciding disputes.
• Section 9 authorizes the circuit to employ an additional court reporter.
• Section 11 requires the counties in the circuit to provide courtrooms, office space, equipment, and personnel for the judges, funded from each county's treasury.
• Section 13 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025 for most purposes, upon the Governor's approval or the bill becoming law without it.

1. 2025-01-27House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-17House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-16House Hopper (House)

• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)Primary sponsor

• superior courts
• judicial appointments
• Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit
• local government funding
• judicial elections