--- title: HB 160. Carroll County; State Court; provide additional judge collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb160 cite_as: HB 160, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb160 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb160.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb160/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69598 date: 2025-05-13 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb159.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb161.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 883 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb160.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 160 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-05-13 last_action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 sponsors: - Tyler Smith - David Huddleston - Jutt Howard text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB160/2025 upstream_id: 1945130 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Carroll County - state courts - local judges - judicial elections - county government --- # HB 160. Carroll County; State Court; provide additional judge ## Text 25 LC 44 2915/AP House Bill 160 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE) By: Representatives Smith of the 18th, Huddleston of the 72nd, and Howard of the 71st A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend an Act establishing a city court in the city of Carrollton, in the county of Carroll,1 approved December 21, 1897 (Ga. L. 1897, p. 438), as amended, s o as to provide an2 additional judge for such court; to provide for the appointment of such additional judge of3 such court; to provide for the election of successors; to provide for a chief judge; to provide4 for related matters; to provide for effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other5 purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 An Act establishing a city court in the city of Carrollton, in the county of Carroll, approved9 December 21, 1897 (Ga. L. 1897, p. 438), as amended, is amended by revising Section 4 as10 follows:11 "SECTION 4.12 (a)(1) As of July 1, 2025, there shall be a chief judge, who shall be the judge of the State13 Court of Carroll County serving at the time of the effective da te of this Act, and one14 additional judge of such court who each shall be elected by the qualified voters of Carroll15 H. B. 160 - 1 - 25 LC 44 2915/AP County, as provided by Chapter 7 of Title 15 and Title 21 of th e O.C.G.A.; provided,16 however, that the initial additional judge shall be appointed by the Governor for a term17 beginning July 1, 2025, and continuing through December 31, 2026, and until his or her18 successor is elected and qualified. The successor to such initial additional judge shall be19 elected in the manner provided by law for the election of judges of the state courts of this20 state at the nonpartisan judicial election in 2026, for a term of four years beginning on21 January 1, 2027, and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. The judge of such22 court in office on the effective date of this Act shall continue to serve the remainder of23 the term of office to which he or she was elected and until his or her successor is elected24 and qualified. Future successors to such judges shall be elected at the nonpartisan general25 election conducted immediately prior to the expiration of the t erm of office. Such26 successors shall take office on the first day of January following their election and shall27 serve for a term of office of four years and until their respec tive successors are duly28 elected and qualified.29 (2) The judges of the State Court of Carroll County shall each be elected at nonpartisan30 general elections without a prior nonpartisan primary. Such elections shall be conducted31 as provided by general law.32 (b) Each judge of the State Court of Carroll County shall receive an annual salary equal33 to 90 percent of the salary of the judge of Superior Court of Carroll County, exclusive of34 the supplements paid to the judge of superior court by the coun ties in the West Georgia 35 Judicial Circuit. Such salaries shall be paid in equal monthly installments from county36 funds.37 (c) The judges of such court sh all be full-time judges, shall not engage in the private38 practice of law, and shall each devote his or her full time and efforts to the discharge of the39 duties of his or her office.40 (d) Each judge is authorized to employ a secretary; and the person to be employed shall41 be selected in the sole discretion of the respective judge. The secretary of each judge shall42 H. B. 160 - 2 - 25 LC 44 2915/AP receive an annual salary of not less than $14,750.00 which may be increased by the judge43 with the approval of the county governing authority. The secretaries' salaries shall be paid44 from county funds."45 SECTION 2.46 For the purpose of appointing the initial associate judge under this Act, this Act shall become47 effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval. 48 For all other purposes, this Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.49 SECTION 3.50 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.51 H. B. 160 - 3 - ## 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 160 adds a second judge to the State Court of Carroll County, with the first holder appointed by the Governor before voters elect a successor in 2026. ### Plain-language summary Carroll County's state court currently has one judge, established under a 1897 Act that has been amended over the years. This bill amends that law to add a second judge to the court, starting July 1, 2025. The first person to hold the new judgeship will be appointed by the Governor to serve from July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026. After that, voters will elect a successor at the 2026 nonpartisan judicial election, with future judges serving four-year terms and being elected at nonpartisan general elections without a primary. The bill also designates the sitting judge as chief judge, sets each judge's salary at 90 percent of the Carroll County Superior Court judge's salary (paid from county funds), requires judges to work full time and not practice law privately, and lets each judge hire a secretary at a minimum salary of $14,750 a year. The judge-appointment part of the law takes effect once the Governor signs it; the rest takes effect July 1, 2025. ### What it does - Adds a second, additional judgeship to the State Court of Carroll County beginning July 1, 2025. - Has the Governor appoint the first additional judge to serve from July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, until a successor is elected. - Requires the successor to that initial judge to be elected in the 2026 nonpartisan judicial election for a four-year term starting January 1, 2027. - Designates the sitting State Court judge as chief judge and requires all future judges to be elected in nonpartisan general elections without a primary. - Sets each judge's annual salary at 90 percent of the Carroll County Superior Court judge's salary, paid from county funds, and requires judges to work full time without private legal practice. - Allows each judge to hire a secretary at a minimum annual salary of $14,750, paid from county funds. ### Who it affects Residents and voters of Carroll County, the sitting and future judges of the State Court of Carroll County, the Governor's office (which makes the initial appointment), county government (which funds judicial and staff salaries), and each judge's secretary. ### Why it matters Adding a second judge to Carroll County's state court could speed up case processing and change how local judicial elections are run, while shifting some initial selection power to the Governor rather than voters for a temporary period before the 2026 election. ### Key provisions - Section 1 revises Section 4 of the 1897 Act creating the Carrollton city court (now the State Court of Carroll County) to add one additional judge alongside a designated chief judge. - The initial additional judge is appointed by the Governor for a term from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, rather than elected. - The successor to the initial judge is elected at the 2026 nonpartisan judicial election for a four-year term beginning January 1, 2027, and future judges follow the same four-year election cycle. - Judges are elected at nonpartisan general elections without a preceding nonpartisan primary. - Each judge's salary is set at 90 percent of the Carroll County Superior Court judge's salary, excluding certain county supplements, paid monthly from county funds. - Judges must serve full time and may not privately practice law, and each may hire a secretary earning at least $14,750 per year from county funds. - Section 2 makes the appointment provision effective upon the Governor's signature, while all other provisions take effect July 1, 2025. - Section 3 repeals conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-05-13) - Last action: Effective Date 2025-05-13 (2025-05-13) - Sponsors: Tyler Smith, David Huddleston, Jutt Howard - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69598 > The history, votes, and amendments (883 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb160.md?full=1