---
title: HB 1365. Atlanta Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide twenty-first judge
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1365
cite_as: HB 1365, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1365
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1365.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1365/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73345
date: 2026-03-06
status: engrossed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 466
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1365.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1365
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-03-04
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Todd Jones
- Deborah Silcox
- Charles Martin
- Jan Jones
- Stacey Evans
- Park Cannon
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1365/2025
upstream_id: 2119498
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- Atlanta Judicial Circuit
- superior courts
- judicial appointments
- Georgia courts
- judicial elections
---
# HB 1365. Atlanta Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide twenty-first judge
## Text
House Bill 1365
By: Representatives Jones of the 25th, Silcox of the 53rd, Martin of the 49th, Jones of the 47th,
Evans of the 57th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 15-6-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
number of judges of superior courts, so as to provide for a twenty-first judge of the superior
courts of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit; to provide for the appointment of such additional judge
by the Governor; to provide for the election of successors to the judge initially appointed; to
prescribe the powers of such judge; to provide for the powers and duties of such additional
judge; to preserve existing local Acts regarding such judicial circuit; to provide for the
compensation of such additional judge; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective
date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Code Section 15-6-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the number of
judges of superior courts, is amended by revising paragraph (3) as follows:
"(3) Atlanta Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 21"
SECTION 2.
An additional judge of the superior court is added to the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, thereby
increasing to 21 the number of judges of said circuit.
SECTION 3.
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. A successor to the initial
judge shall be elected in a manner provided by law for the election of judges of the superior
courts of this state at the nonpartisan general election in 2028, for a term of four years
beginning on January 1, 2029, and until the election and qualification of a successor. Future
successors shall be elected at the general election each four years thereafter for terms of four
years and until the election and qualification of a successor. The successor shall take office
on the first day of January following the date of the election. Such elections shall be held
and conducted in a manner provided by law for the election of judges of the superior courts
of this state.
SECTION 4.
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. Any of the judges of the superior court of said circuit may preside over
any case therein and perform any official act as judge thereof. The additional judge is
authorized to employ court personnel on the same basis as other judges of the Atlanta
Judicial Circuit.
SECTION 5.
Except as expressly stated, this Act shall not be construed to alter or repeal any provision of
any local Act relating to the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to
limit or restrict the inherent powers, duties, and responsibilities of superior court judges
provided by the Constitution and statutes of the State of Georgia.
SECTION 6.
The compensation, salary, and contingent expense allowance of said additional judge of the
Atlanta Judicial Circuit shall be the same as that of the other judges of the superior court of
the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. Any salary supplements or locality pay provided by the county
of said circuit shall also be applicable to the additional judge provided for in this Act.
SECTION 7.
This Act shall become effective for the purposes of appointing the additional judge upon its
approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval and for all other
purposes on January 1, 2027.
SECTION 8.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
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.
### Plain-language summary
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 it 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.
## Status
- Status: Engrossed (2026-03-04)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-03-06)
- Sponsors: Todd Jones, Deborah Silcox, Charles Martin, Jan Jones, Stacey Evans, Park Cannon
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73345
> The history, votes, and amendments (466 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1365.md?full=1