HB 482: Courts; superior court judicial officers in certain judicial circuits; provide

Currently, superior court judges in Georgia are elected officials. This bill creates a new option for judicial circuits that have 15 or more superior court judges: the county governments that make up such a circuit could choose to fund up to five additional judicial officers to help handle the court's workload. 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 qualified people to these positions rather than having them elected. These judicial officers would need the same qualifications as elected superior court judges and would have the same powers and duties, except they could not handle cases involving serious violent felonies (as defined in O.C.G.A. § 17-10-6.1). Appointments would last up to two years but could be renewed. The judicial officers would be county employees, not state employees, with counties covering their pay, benefits, and expenses.

• Creates a new Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-37) letting counties in large judicial circuits fund extra superior court judicial officers instead of relying only on elected judges.
• Limits this option to judicial circuits with 15 or more superior court judges, and caps the number of judicial officers at five per circuit.
• Allows the circuit's chief judge, after consulting other judges, to appoint these officers rather than having them elected by voters.
• Bars appointed judicial officers from presiding over serious violent felony cases and lets the chief judge impose further limits on their duties.
• Sets appointment terms at up to two years, renewable, and classifies the officers as county employees rather than state employees responsible for their own pay and benefits.

This bill affects county governments in Georgia's largest judicial circuits, which would decide whether to fund the new positions; superior court chief judges and judges, who would appoint and work alongside these officers; and people with cases in those courts, since appointed rather than elected officials could hear many of their matters.

Large judicial circuits often face heavy caseloads. This bill gives counties in those circuits a way to add court capacity by funding appointed judicial officers rather than waiting for new elected judgeships, though those officers would not handle the most serious violent crime cases and would answer to counties rather than the state.

• Section 1 adds new Code Section 15-6-37, applying only to judicial circuits with 15 or more superior court judges as counted 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 the same qualifications as elected superior court judges but are not themselves elected.
• Subsection (c) gives judicial officers the same powers and duties as superior court judges, except they cannot preside over serious violent felony cases, and lets the chief judge set further limits.
• Subsection (d) caps appointment terms at two years, with the possibility of reappointment.
• Subsection (e) makes judicial officers county employees, with counties responsible for their compensation, benefits, and travel expenses.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-02-28House Committee Favorably Reported (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-02-20House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-02-19House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-02-18House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)Patrocinador principal
• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)
• Tyler Smith (R, HD-018)

• superior courts
• judicial appointments
• court funding
• county government
• Georgia courts