---
title: HB 515. Augusta Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide for a sixth judge
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb515
cite_as: HB 515, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb515
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb515.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb515/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70488
date: 2025-03-04
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
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: 235
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb515.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 515
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-19
last_action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted
sponsors:
  - Mark Newton
  - Brian Prince
  - L.C. Myles
  - Karlton Howard
  - Lynn Heffner
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB515/2025
upstream_id: 1976277
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - judicial appointments
  - Augusta Judicial Circuit
  - superior courts
  - court funding
  - judicial elections
---

# HB 515. Augusta Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide for a sixth judge

## Text

House Bill 515
By: Representatives Newton of the 127th, Prince of the 132nd, Myles of the 126th, Howard of
the 129th, and Heffner of the 130th
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 sixth judge of the superior courts
of the Augusta 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 prescribe the compensation, salary, and expense
allowance of such judge to be paid by the State of Georgia and the counties comprising said
circuit; to authorize the judges of such circuit to divide and allocate the work and duties
thereof; to provide for the manner of impaneling jurors; to provide for an additional court
reporter for such circuit; to authorize the governing authority of the counties comprising the
Augusta Judicial Circuit to provide facilities, office space, supplies, equipment, and
personnel for such judges; to declare inherent authority; to provide for related matters; to
provide for effective dates; 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 (5) as follows:
"(5) Augusta Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <del>5</del> <ins>6"
</ins> SECTION 2.
One additional judge of the superior courts is added to the Augusta Judicial Circuit, thereby
increasing to six the number of judges of said circuit.
SECTION 3.
Said additional judge shall be appointed by the Governor for a term beginning
January 1, 2026, and continuing through December 31, 2028, and until his or her successor
is elected and qualified. His or her successor shall be elected in the manner provided by law
for the election of judges of the superior courts of this state at the nonpartisan judicial
election in 2028 for a term of four years beginning on January 1, 2029, and until his or her
successor is elected and qualified. Future successors shall be elected at the nonpartisan
judicial election every four years thereafter for terms of four years and until their successors
are elected and qualified. The newly elected and qualified judge shall take office on the first
day of January following the date of the election.
SECTION 4.
The additional judge of the superior courts of the Augusta Judicial Circuit shall have and
may exercise all powers, duties, dignities, jurisdiction, privileges, and immunities of the
present judges of the superior courts of this state. Any judge of the Augusta Judicial Circuit
may preside over any cause, whether in their own or in other circuits, and perform any
official act as judge thereof, including sitting on appellate courts as provided by law.
SECTION 5.
The qualifications of such additional judge and his or her successors shall be the same as are
now provided by law for all other superior court judges, and his or her compensation, salary,
and expense allowance from the State of Georgia and from the counties comprising the
Augusta Judicial Circuit shall be the same as are now provided by law for the other superior
court judges of such circuit. The provisions, if any, enacted for the supplementation by the
counties of such circuit of the salary of the judges of the superior courts of the Augusta
Judicial Circuit shall also be applicable to the additional judge provided for by this Act.
SECTION 6.
All writs and processes in the superior courts of the Augusta Judicial Circuit shall be
returnable to the terms of such superior courts as they are now fixed and provided by law,
or as they may hereafter be fixed or determined by law, and all terms of such courts shall be
held in the same manner as though there were but one judge, it being the intent and purpose
of this Act to provide six judges equal in jurisdiction and authority to attend and perform the
functions, powers, and duties of the judges of such superior courts and to direct and conduct
all hearings and trials in such courts.
SECTION 7.
Upon and after qualification of the additional judge of the superior courts of the Augusta
Judicial Circuit, the judges of such circuit may adopt, promulgate, amend, and enforce such
rules of practice and procedure in consonance with the Constitution and laws of the State of
Georgia as they deem suitable and proper for the effective transaction of the business of the
court; and, in transacting the business of the court and in performing their duties and
responsibilities, they shall share, divide, and allocate the work and duties to be performed by
each. In the event of a disagreement among the judges in respect hereof, the decision of a
majority shall control, or, in the absence of a majority, the decision of the chief judge shall
be controlling. The judges of the superior courts of the Augusta Judicial Circuit shall have
and are clothed with full power, authority, and discretion to determine from time to time and
term to term the manner of calling the dockets, fixing the calendars, and order of business
in such courts. They may assign to one such judge the hearing of trials by jury for a term and
the hearing of all other matters not requiring a trial by jury to the other judges, and they may
rotate such order of business at the next term. They may conduct trials by jury at the same
time in the same county or otherwise within such circuit, or they may hear chambers business
and motion business at the same time at any place within such circuit. They may provide in
all respects for holding the superior courts of such circuit so as to facilitate the hearing and
determination of all the business of such courts at any time pending and ready for trial or
hearing. In all such matters relating to the fixing, arranging for, and disposing of the
business of such courts and making appointments as authorized by law where the judges
thereof cannot agree or shall differ, the opinion or order of the chief judge as provided for
in this Act shall control.
SECTION 8.
The drawing and impaneling of all jurors, whether grand, petit, or special, may be conducted
by any of the judges of the superior courts of such circuit; and they, or any one such judge,
shall have full power and authority to draw and impanel jurors for service in such courts so
as to have jurors for the trial of cases before any such judges separately or before each of
them at the same time.
SECTION 9.
The judges of the superior courts of the Augusta Judicial Circuit shall be authorized and
empowered to appoint an additional court reporter for such circuit, whose compensation shall
be as now or hereafter provided by law.
SECTION 10.
All writs, processes, orders, subpoenas, and any other official paper issuing out of the
superior courts of the Augusta Judicial Circuit may bear teste in the name of any judge of the
Augusta Judicial Circuit and, when issued by and in the name of any judge of such circuit,
shall be fully valid and may be heard and determined before the same or any other judge of
such circuit. Any judge of such circuit may preside over any case therein and perform any
official act as judge thereof.
SECTION 11.
Upon request of any judge of the circuit, the governing authorities of the counties comprising
the Augusta Judicial Circuit shall be authorized to furnish the judges of such circuit with
suitable courtrooms and facilities, office space, telephones, furniture, office equipment,
supplies, and such personnel as may be considered necessary by the court to the proper
functioning of the court. All of the expenditures authorized in this Act are declared to be an
expense of the court and payable out of the county treasury as such.
SECTION 12.
Except as expressly stated, nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter or repeal any
provision of any local Act relating to the Augusta 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 13.
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, 2026.
SECTION 14.
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.

A House bill would add a sixth superior court judge to the Augusta Judicial Circuit, initially appointed by the Governor and later chosen by voters, to help handle the circuit's caseload.

### Plain-language summary

The Augusta Judicial Circuit currently has five superior court judges under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2). This bill would raise that number to six by amending the statute that sets how many judges each circuit gets.
The new judge would first be appointed by the Governor for a term starting January 1, 2026 and running through the end of 2028. After that, the seat would be filled through the state's regular nonpartisan judicial elections, starting in 2028 for a four-year term beginning in 2029. The bill spells out that the new judge has the same powers, pay, and duties as the circuit's existing judges, lets the circuit's judges divide up caseloads and jury duty among themselves, allows hiring an extra court reporter, and lets the circuit's counties provide office space and staff for the new judge. Most provisions take effect January 1, 2026, though the appointment process can begin as soon as the Governor signs the bill.

### What it does

- Amends Georgia's superior court staffing law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2) to raise the number of judges in the Augusta Judicial Circuit from five to six.
- Has the Governor appoint the new judge for a term running from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2028.
- Requires the seat to be filled afterward through the state's nonpartisan judicial elections, starting in 2028 for four-year terms.
- Gives the new judge the same pay, powers, and duties as the circuit's other superior court judges, funded by both the state and the circuit's counties.
- Lets the circuit's judges divide caseloads, set court calendars, and jointly manage jury impaneling, with disputes settled by majority vote or the chief judge.
- Authorizes the circuit to hire an additional court reporter and lets the counties provide office space, equipment, and staff for the new judge.

### Who it affects

The bill affects residents and litigants in the Augusta Judicial Circuit, the circuit's existing superior court judges, the Governor's office (which makes the initial appointment), county governments that help fund and house the courts, and any future candidates for the new judicial seat.

### Why it matters

Adding a sixth judge could speed up how quickly civil and criminal cases move through the Augusta Judicial Circuit's superior courts by spreading the workload across more judges, while also creating new costs for the state and the circuit's counties, which help pay judicial salaries and provide court facilities.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 changes the number listed for the Augusta Circuit in O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2 from five judges to six.
- Section 2 formally adds the sixth judgeship to the circuit.
- Section 3 has the Governor appoint the new judge through 2028, then requires election of successors starting with the 2028 nonpartisan judicial election.
- Section 4 gives the new judge the same statewide judicial powers and authority as any other superior court judge.
- Section 5 sets the new judge's qualifications, salary, and expense allowance to match the circuit's other judges, paid by the state and the circuit's counties.
- Section 7 lets the circuit's judges jointly set dockets, calendars, and workload division, with majority or chief-judge rule in disputes.
- Section 9 authorizes hiring an additional court reporter for the circuit.
- Section 13 sets the effective date: the appointment process can begin once the Governor signs the bill, with all other provisions effective January 1, 2026.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-19)
- Last action: House Withdrawn, Recommitted (2025-03-04)
- Sponsors: Mark Newton, Brian Prince, L.C. Myles, Karlton Howard, Lynn Heffner
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70488

> The history, votes, and amendments (235 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb515.md?full=1