--- title: HB 482. Courts; superior court judicial officers in certain judicial circuits; provide collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb482 cite_as: HB 482, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb482 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb482.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb482/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70403 date: 2025-04-04 status: introduced 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/hb481.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb483.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 235 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb482.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 482 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-02-18 last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted sponsors: - Trey Kelley - Deborah Silcox - Stacey Evans - Tyler Smith text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB482/2025 upstream_id: 1974315 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - superior courts - judicial appointments - county government - court funding - judicial circuits --- # HB 482. Courts; superior court judicial officers in certain judicial circuits; provide ## Text 25 LC 47 3316 House Bill 482 By: Representatives Kelley of the 16th, Silcox of the 53rd, Evans of the 57th, and Smith of the 18th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 15 of the Official Cod e of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to general provisions regarding superior courts, so as to provide for superior court2 judicial officers in certain judicial circuits; to provide for the appointment, qualifications,3 terms, duties, and employment status of such judicial officers; to provide for related matters;4 to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 SECTION 1.7 Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Geor gia Annotated, relating to8 general provisions regarding superior courts, is amended by adding a new Code section to9 read as follows:10 "15-6-37.11 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any judicial circuit of this state with 1512 or more judges of the superior court, as provided for in Code Section 15-6-2, the governing13 authorities of the counties that make up such circuit are authorized to provide funding for14 up to five judicial officers to serve in the superior courts of such circuit.15 H. B. 482 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3316 (b) In the event that a county or counties provide funding for judicial officers as provided16 for in subsection (a) of this Code section, the chief judge of the circuit, after consulting17 with a majority of the superior court judges in such circuit, m ay appoint qualified18 individuals as judicial officers in the superior courts of such circuit. Judicial officers shall19 have all of the qualifications provided for in Code Section 15-6-4 for superior court judges;20 provided, however, that such judicial officers shall not be elected.21 (c) Judicial officers appointed pur suant to this Code section shall have all powers and22 duties of a judge of the superior court; provided, however, that judicial officers shall not23 preside over any case or matter related to a serious violent felony as such term is defined24 in Code Section 17-10-6.1, and provided, further, that the chie f judge of a circuit, after25 consulting with a majority of the superior court judges in such circuit, may place such26 additional limitations on the use of such judicial officers in the circuit.27 (d) Judicial officers appointed pursuant to this Code section shall be appointed to terms28 not to exceed two years; provided, however, that a judicial officer may be reappointed to29 succeed himself or herself.30 (e) Judicial officers appointed pursuant to this Code section shall be employees of the31 county or counties that make up the judicial circuit in which t hey are appointed. Such32 judicial officers shall not be considered state employees for any reason, and the counties33 that make up such circuit shall be responsible for the compensation, benefits, travel, and34 other expenses for such judicial officers."35 SECTION 2.36 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.37 H. B. 482 - 2 - ## 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. A Georgia House bill would let counties in the state's largest superior court circuits pay for appointed judicial officers to help handle caseloads, without those officers being elected. ### Plain-language summary Currently, superior court judges in Georgia are elected officials. This bill creates a new option for judicial circuits that already have 15 or more superior court judges: the counties that make up such a circuit could choose to fund up to five "judicial officers" to help handle court business. If a county or counties provide the funding, the circuit's chief judge, after talking with a majority of the circuit's superior court judges, could appoint people who meet the same qualifications required of superior court judges. These judicial officers would have the same powers and duties as a superior court judge, except they could not handle serious violent felony cases, and the chief judge could add further limits. Appointments would last up to two years and could be renewed. The judicial officers would be county employees, not state employees, with counties covering their pay, benefits, and expenses. ### What it does - Creates a new option letting counties in judicial circuits with 15 or more superior court judges fund up to five appointed judicial officers. - Requires judicial officers to meet the same qualifications as elected superior court judges but bars them from being elected themselves. - Gives judicial officers the same powers and duties as superior court judges except they cannot hear serious violent felony cases as defined in O.C.G.A. § 17-10-6.1. - Lets the circuit's chief judge, after consulting other judges, impose additional limits on what cases judicial officers can handle. - Limits judicial officer appointments to terms of up to two years, though they can be reappointed. - Classifies judicial officers as county employees rather than state employees, making counties responsible for their pay and benefits. ### Who it affects This bill affects county governments in Georgia's largest superior court circuits, chief judges and sitting superior court judges in those circuits, and the people appointed as judicial officers. It also indirectly affects litigants and defendants whose cases could be assigned to a judicial officer instead of an elected judge. ### Why it matters Large judicial circuits often face heavy caseloads. This bill gives counties in circuits with 15 or more judges a way to add appointed help on the bench without waiting for new elected judgeships, while keeping the most serious violent felony cases with elected judges and county taxpayers footing the bill. ### Key provisions - Section 1 adds a new Code section, O.C.G.A. § 15-6-37, applying only to judicial circuits with 15 or more superior court judges under O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2. - Subsection (a) authorizes county governing authorities in such circuits to fund up to five judicial officers. - Subsection (b) lets the chief judge appoint judicial officers who meet superior court judge qualifications under O.C.G.A. § 15-6-4, but bars election to the role. - Subsection (c) gives judicial officers full judge powers except over serious violent felony cases, and lets the chief judge add further restrictions. - Subsection (d) caps appointment terms at two years, with reappointment allowed. - Subsection (e) makes judicial officers county employees, not state employees, with counties covering compensation, benefits, and travel expenses. - Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-02-18) - Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Trey Kelley, Deborah Silcox, Stacey Evans, Tyler Smith - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70403 > The history, votes, and amendments (235 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb482.md?full=1