Georgia CommonsHouse · Engrossed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1365: Atlanta Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide twenty-first judge
Last action March 6, 2026 · Senate Read and Referred
House Bill 1365 would add a 21st superior court judge to the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, appointed by the Governor to start in 2027 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 Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2) sets how many superior court judges each judicial circuit has. The Atlanta Judicial Circuit currently has 20. This bill would raise that number to 21 by amending the statute. The Governor would appoint the new judge to a term beginning January 1, 2027 and ending December 31, 2028. After that, voters would choose a successor at the nonpartisan general election in 2028, and every four years after that, following the same election process used for other superior court judges. The new judge would have the same powers, duties, pay, and expense allowance as the circuit's other judges, and could employ court staff the same way they do. The bill would take effect for appointment purposes once signed by the Governor, and for all other purposes on January 1, 2027.
What the bill does
- Amends Georgia's superior court judge count statute (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2) to raise the Atlanta Judicial Circuit's judges from 20 to 21.
- Directs the Governor to appoint the new judge for a term running from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028.
- Sets up regular elections for the seat starting with the 2028 nonpartisan general election, with four-year terms afterward.
- Gives the new judge the same powers, jurisdiction, and immunities as the circuit's existing superior court judges.
- Sets the new judge's pay, expense allowance, and any local salary supplements equal to those of the circuit's other judges.
- Preserves existing local laws about the Atlanta Judicial Circuit except where this bill expressly changes them.
Who it affects
The bill affects the Atlanta Judicial Circuit's superior court system, including the judges currently serving there, the Governor who will appoint the new judge, county governments that fund local salary supplements, court staff who may be hired by the new judge, and voters in the circuit who will eventually elect the seat's occupant.
Why it matters
Adding a 21st judge would give the Atlanta Judicial Circuit more capacity to hear cases, potentially easing caseloads for existing judges. It also creates a new elected judicial office that voters in the circuit will fill starting in 2028, and a new appointment for the Governor to make in 2027.
Key provisions
- Section 1 changes the number of Atlanta Circuit superior court judges in O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2 from 20 to 21.
- Section 2 confirms the practical effect: the Atlanta Judicial Circuit's judge count rises to 21.
- Section 3 has the Governor appoint the first judge to serve January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028, followed by election at the 2028 nonpartisan general election and every four years after.
- Section 4 gives the additional judge the same powers, jurisdiction, and immunities as other superior court judges, and lets any judge in the circuit handle any case.
- Section 5 keeps existing local laws about the Atlanta Judicial Circuit intact except where this Act specifically changes them.
- Section 6 sets the additional judge's compensation, expense allowance, and local salary supplements equal to those of the circuit's other judges.
- Section 7 makes the Act effective for appointment purposes upon the Governor's approval, and for all other purposes on January 1, 2027.
From the bill
“The additional judge of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit appointed pursuant to this Act shall be appointed by the Governor for a term beginning January 1, 2027, and expiring December 31, 2028, and until a successor is elected and qualified.”
“Said additional judge of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit shall have and may exercise all powers, duties, dignity, jurisdiction, privileges, and immunities of the present judges of the superior courts of this state.”
Discussed in meetings (8)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Judiciary Committee, February 23, 2026
From 0:27:13 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1365 would increase the Atlanta Judicial Circuit’s superior court judges from 20 to 21. The sponsor said Fulton County’s caseload could support 26 judges, but the circuit narrowly missed the usual top-three ranking for new judgeships. The sponsor also said the ranking does not account for case complexity. One judge said Fulton had qualified mathematically for another judge since about 2019 and stood four-hundredths of a point behind the third-ranked circuit. A second judge said the circuit last received another judge in 2009 and its population had since increased 26%. The sponsor estimated the additional position would cost about $600,000 and reported support from the Fulton County Commission. Asked about funding, the sponsor said appropriations support was promising but not confirmed. The committee approved the bill by voice vote, with no opposition heard.
House Rules Committee, February 25, 2026
From 1:22:12 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1365 would add a 21st superior court judge to the Atlanta Judicial Circuit and had support from the Fulton County Commission and all 20 existing judges. A member asked whether it would displace a proposed additional judge in Hall County. The sponsor said it would not displace any of the three highest-ranked requests. The sponsor said the circuit had not received a new judge since 2009 and had grown about 26%. The sponsor estimated the added judge would cost $600,000, compared with about $750,000 saved because many existing judges did not join a new pay arrangement, and reported Appropriations support. No scheduling decision was shown.
House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, PM, part 2)
From 1:51:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1938
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1365 would add a 21st Superior Court judge to the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. The sponsor said the circuit’s workload justified 26 judges and that all 20 current judges and the county commission supported this incremental addition. Asked how narrowly the circuit missed the top three places in the workload index, the sponsor said it ranked fourth by 0.0001. The House passed the bill 160–0.
House Rules Committee, March 4, 2026
From 0:26:56 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1929
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 1365 on the supplemental calendar after a motion and second, with no objection. Members did not discuss its substance.
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 19, 2026 (legislative day 21), 0:28:06
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 20, 2026 (legislative day 22), 0:40:28
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 24, 2026 (legislative day 23), 0:52:20
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, part 1), 0:40:49
Status timeline
- 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
- Todd Jones (R, HD-25)
- Deborah Silcox (R, HD-53)
- Chuck Martin (R, HD-49)
- Jan Jones (R, HD-47)
- Stacey Evans (D, HD-57)
- Park Cannon (D, HD-58)
Votes
- House voteMarch 4, 2026
160 yea, 0 nay (2 not voting, 15 excused)
Topics
- Atlanta Judicial Circuit
- superior courts
- judicial appointments
- Georgia courts
- judicial elections