HB 93: Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit; superior courts; provide additional judge

The Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit currently has two superior court judges under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2). This bill would raise that number to three by amending the code section that lists how many judges each circuit gets. The Governor would appoint the new judge to serve from July 1, 2025 until December 31, 2026. Voters would then pick a successor in the 2026 nonpartisan judicial election, who would take office in January 2027 and serve a normal four-year term, with elections for that seat repeating every four years afterward. Candidates would have to declare which specific judgeship they are running for. The bill also lets the circuit's judges divide up casework, name a chief judge, share jury duties, and hire an extra court reporter, with the counties in the circuit providing office space and other support. Most provisions take effect July 1, 2025.

• Amends O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2 to increase the number of superior court judges in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit from two to three.
• Directs the Governor to appoint the new judge for a term starting July 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2026.
• Requires the new judgeship to be filled by nonpartisan election starting in 2026, with the winner serving a four-year term beginning January 2027.
• Requires future candidates for any Tallapoosa Circuit judgeship to designate which specific seat or incumbent they are running to succeed.
• Authorizes the circuit's judges to divide their workload, name a chief judge by seniority when there is no majority agreement, and hire an additional court reporter.
• Requires the counties in the circuit to provide courtrooms, office space, equipment, and staff for the new judge, paid from county treasuries.

Residents and litigants in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit, the sitting and future superior court judges there, county governments that must fund facilities and staff, court reporters, and candidates who run for judicial office in that circuit.

Adding a third judge could speed up case processing and reduce workload strain in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit, but it also means the counties in that circuit will bear added costs for salary supplements, office space, and staff to support the new judgeship.

• Section 1 changes the judge count for the Tallapoosa Circuit in O.C.G.A. § 15-6-2 from 2 to 3.
• Section 2 sets the appointment term (July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026) and establishes the 2026 election and subsequent four-year terms for the new seat.
• Section 3 requires judicial candidates in the circuit to designate the specific seat or incumbent they seek to succeed.
• Section 5 makes the new judge's pay, from the state and the circuit's counties, equal to that of the circuit's other judges, including local salary supplements.
• Section 7 lets the circuit's judges divide duties and designate a chief judge by seniority if they cannot agree.
• Section 9 authorizes hiring an additional court reporter for the circuit.
• Section 11 requires the counties in the circuit to provide courtrooms, office space, equipment, and personnel, paid from county funds.
• Section 13 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025 for the judge appointment and all other purposes.

1. 2025-01-27House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-17House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-16House Hopper (House)

• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)Primary sponsor

• superior courts
• judicial appointments
• Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit
• local government funding
• judicial elections