Georgia CommonsHB 1215: Middle Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide for a third judge
Last action May 11, 2026 · Effective Date 2026-05-11
House Bill 1215 adds one new superior court judge each to the Atlanta, Clayton, Middle, Northeastern, and Gwinnett Judicial Circuits in Georgia, to be appointed by the Governor and later elected by voters.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2) sets a fixed number of superior court judges for each judicial circuit in the state. This bill increases that number for five circuits: the Atlanta Judicial Circuit goes from 20 to 21 judges, the Clayton Judicial Circuit from 5 to 6, the Middle Judicial Circuit from 2 to 3, the Northeastern Judicial Circuit from 5 to 6, and the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit from 11 to 12. The Governor would appoint each new judge to serve from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028. After that, each seat becomes an elected position, filled at the 2028 nonpartisan judicial election for a four-year term starting January 1, 2029, and every four years after that. The bill also sets how the judges in the Middle and Gwinnett circuits choose a chief judge, lets circuit judges split up caseloads and jury duties, allows each circuit to hire an extra court reporter, and lets county governments provide courtroom space and staff for the new judges. Most provisions take full effect January 1, 2027, though the appointment process can begin once the Governor signs the bill.
What the bill does
- Adds one new superior court judgeship each to the Atlanta, Clayton, Middle, Northeastern, and Gwinnett Judicial Circuits, changing the totals in O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2.
- Directs the Governor to appoint each new judge for a term running from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028.
- Requires the new judgeships to become elected offices starting with the 2028 nonpartisan judicial election, with four-year terms beginning January 1, 2029.
- Sets up a chief judge election process for the Middle Judicial Circuit and the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit, with two-year terms decided by majority vote of the circuit's judges.
- Authorizes each affected circuit to appoint an additional court reporter and lets county governments supply courtrooms, office space, and staff for the new judges.
- Sets the effective date as January 1, 2027 for most purposes, though the Governor can begin the appointment process as soon as the bill is signed.
Who it affects
The bill affects superior court judges, litigants, and court staff in the Atlanta, Clayton, Middle, Northeastern, and Gwinnett Judicial Circuits, the Governor's office (which makes the appointments), voters in those circuits (who will elect successors), and the county governments that fund courtroom facilities and staff.
Why it matters
Adding judges to these five circuits means more judicial capacity to hear cases, which can affect how quickly civil and criminal cases move through court. Local governments in the affected counties would also take on new costs for courtroom space, equipment, and staff to support the additional judges.
Key provisions
- Section 1-1 (Part I) amends O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2 to raise the judge counts for the Atlanta Circuit (20 to 21), Clayton Circuit (5 to 6), and Middle Circuit (2 to 3).
- Sections 1-3 and 1-7 set the appointment term (January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028) for the new judges and create a chief judge election process for the Middle Circuit.
- Section 2-1 (Part II) raises the Northeastern Circuit's judge count from 5 to 6, with the same appointment and election timeline as Part I.
- Section 3-1 (Part III) raises the Gwinnett Circuit's judge count from 11 to 12 and Section 3-7 sets up a chief judge election process for that circuit.
- Sections 1-10, 2-9, and 3-10 authorize each of the five circuits to appoint an additional court reporter.
- Sections 1-12, 2-11, and 3-12 let county governing authorities furnish courtrooms, office space, equipment, and personnel for the new judges, paid from the county treasury.
- Section 4-1 sets the effective date: appointments can begin upon the Governor's approval, but all other provisions take effect January 1, 2027.
From the bill
“One additional judge of the superior courts is added to each of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, the Clayton Judicial Circuit, and the Middle Judicial Circuit, thereby increasing to 21, six, and three, respectively, the number of judges of each such circuit.”
“The chief judge of the Middle Judicial Circuit shall be elected from among the judges by majority vote of the total number of judges voting.”
Status timeline
- Effective Date 2026-05-11
- Act 450
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
Show full history (16 actions)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Butch Parrish (R, HD-158)
- Mack Jackson (D, HD-128)
- Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
- Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
- Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 9, 2026
164 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 7 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
28 yea, 20 nay (1 not voting, 5 absent)
- Senate voteMarch 31, 2026
47 yea, 3 nay (0 not voting, 4 absent)
- House voteApril 2, 2026
172 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 2 absent)
Topics
- superior courts
- judicial appointments
- Middle Judicial Circuit
- Gwinnett Judicial Circuit
- court funding