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Courts in Georgia
| More information on Georgia's state courts: |
|---|
| Selection methods Elections Salaries Federal courts |
In Georgia, there are three federal district courts, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.
Click a link for information about that court type.
The image below depicts the flow of cases through Georgia's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.
Judicial selection process
- See also: Georgia judicial elections and Judicial selection in Georgia
Selection of state court judges in Georgia occurs primarily through nonpartisan elections, though interim vacancies in the appellate and general jurisdiction courts are filled by assisted appointment.[1] The limited jurisdiction courts vary in their selection methods, employing a mix of appointment, partisan elections and nonpartisan elections.[2]
Judges of the Georgia Supreme Court and Georgia Court of Appeals are elected to six-year terms. Judges of the state, superior, and probate court judges are elected to four-year terms.
To read more about judicial elections in Georgia, click here.
Federal courts
The federal district courts in Georgia are the:
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
Appeals from these districts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
Active judges
Northern District
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 14, 2014 - |
Georgia Inst. of Tech, 1993 |
University of Georgia Law, 1998 |
||
| November 20, 2014 - |
American University, 1989 |
University of Houston, 1994 |
||
| November 20, 2014 - |
Emory, 1976 |
Emory Law, 1979 |
||
| January 17, 2018 - |
Georgetown University, 1991 |
University of Georgia School of Law, 1994 |
||
| October 25, 2018 - |
University of Georgia, 1985 |
University of Georgia School of Law, 1990 |
||
| June 14, 2019 - |
Washington and Lee University, 1993 |
University of Georgia School of Law, 1996 |
||
| September 13, 2019 - |
University of Florida, 1995 |
Emory University School of Law, 1998 |
||
| April 5, 2022 - |
Duke University, 2003 |
New York University Law School, 2006 |
||
| April 8, 2022 - |
Northwestern University, 1996 |
University of Michigan Law School, 1999 |
||
| January 2, 2025 - |
Princeton University, 2009 |
Wake Forest University School of Law, 2012 |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democratic appointed: 6
- Republican appointed: 4
Middle District
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 21, 2001 - |
University of Georgia, 1982 |
University of Georgia Law, 1985 |
||
| June 22, 2010 - |
Valdosta State University, 1978 |
Mercer University Law, 1981 |
||
| November 20, 2014 - |
Brown University, 1997 |
Yale Law, 2002 |
||
| March 7, 2018 - |
The Military College of South Carolina, 1990 |
University of Georgia School of Law, 1997 |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democratic appointed: 2
- Republican appointed: 2
Southern District
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 8, 2007 - |
University of Georgia, 1985 |
University of Georgia School of Law, 1990 |
||
| April 29, 2008 - |
Augusta College, 1979 |
University of Georgia School of Law, 1982 |
||
| August 30, 2018 - |
Davidson College, 2001 |
University of Georgia, 2004 |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democratic appointed: 0
- Republican appointed: 3
District map
Judicial selection
Judges who sit on the federal district courts are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. These judges serve life terms. To read more about the judges on these courts, click here.
Bankruptcy courts
There are three federal bankruptcy courts in Georgia. These courts have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal bankruptcy courts in Georgia are:
- United States bankruptcy court, Northern District of Georgia
- United States bankruptcy court, Middle District of Georgia
- United States bankruptcy court, Southern District of Georgia
State supreme court
- See also: Georgia Supreme Court
Founded in 1845, the Georgia Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has nine judgeships. The current chief of the court is Nels Peterson.
As of July 2025, eight judges on the court were appointed by a Republican governor and one was initially selected in a nonpartisan election.
The Georgia Supreme Court meets in Atlanta, Georgia. The court sits for three terms: the December term (first Monday in December until March 31); the April term (first Monday in April until July 17); and the August term (first Monday in August until November 18).
In Georgia, state supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. There are 13 states that use this selection method. To read more about the nonpartisan election of judges, click here. The 1983 Georgia Constitution gives the Georgia Supreme Court exclusive appellate jurisdiction over constitutional cases and election contest cases. The court also has general appellate jurisdiction over land title, will and equity cases, divorce and alimony cases, certified cases, death penalty cases, and writs of habeas corpus or certiorari. The court may also exercise jurisdiction over Georgia Court of Appeals cases found to be of great public importance.[3]
The court must review all death penalty cases and all questions certified to the court by the state court of appeals or the federal courts. The court is required to render a decision within two terms of hearing or receiving a case.[4]
The table below lists the current judges of the Georgia Supreme Court and the appointing governor.
| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Supreme Court | Charlie Bethel | Nonpartisan | October 2, 2018 | Nathan Deal (R) |
| Georgia Supreme Court | Verda Colvin | Nonpartisan | July 29, 2021 | Brian Kemp (R) |
| Georgia Supreme Court | John Ellington | Nonpartisan | December 18, 2018 | Elected |
| Georgia Supreme Court | Shawn Ellen LaGrua | Nonpartisan | January 19, 2021 | Brian Kemp (R) |
| Georgia Supreme Court | Ben Land | Nonpartisan | July 24, 2025 | Brian Kemp (R) |
| Georgia Supreme Court | Carla W. McMillian | Nonpartisan | April 10, 2020 | Brian Kemp (R) |
| Georgia Supreme Court | Nels Peterson | Nonpartisan | January 1, 2017 | Nathan Deal (R) |
| Georgia Supreme Court | Andrew Pinson | Nonpartisan | July 20, 2022 | Brian Kemp (R) |
| Georgia Supreme Court | Sarah Warren | Nonpartisan | September 17, 2018 | Nathan Deal (R) |
State court of appeals
- See also: Georgia Court of Appeals
The Georgia Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Georgia. It was established in 1906 and has five divisions with three judges each. According to information provided by the court's official source:
| “ | The Court of Appeals has statewide appellate jurisdiction of all cases except those involving constitutional questions, murder, and habeas corpus cases where original appellate jurisdiction lies with the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals may certify legal questions to the Supreme Court.[5] | ” |
| —Georgia Court of Appeals, official website[6] | ||
There are 15 judges on the court, which increased from 12 effective January 2016. During the 2015 legislative session, Gov. Nathan Deal (R) and legislators agreed to add another three-judge panel to the court of appeals to ease the court's caseload.[7] The Judicial Nominating Commission received more than 200 nominations and submitted a list of 11 nominees to the governor on October 26, 2015.[8] Judges serve six-year terms beginning on January 1 after their election. Judges who are appointed to fill vacancies serve "until January 1 of the year following the next general election which is more than six months after such person's appointment."[9]
| Judge | Tenure | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
|
January 1, 2016 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
April 3, 2024 - Present |
Brian Kemp |
|
|
January 1, 1999 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 1, 2011 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
January 1, 2009 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
2018 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
2018 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
2018 - Present |
Elected |
|
|
April 10, 2020 - Present |
Brian Kemp |
|
|
January 1, 2016 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
August 7, 2023 - Present |
Georgia Court of Appeals |
|
|
2018 - Present |
Nathan Deal |
|
|
July 11, 2023 - Present |
Brian Kemp |
|
|
January 1, 2025 - Present |
||
|
2010 - Present |
Sonny Perdue |
Trial courts
State superior court
- See also: Georgia Superior Courts
The Superior Courts of Georgia have general jurisdiction over trial cases in the state, handling civil and criminal cases. The court also holds equity jurisdiction over all cases of divorce, title to land, and felonies requiring jury trials.[10]
Probate courts
- See also: Georgia Probate Courts
The Georgia Probate Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over the probate of wills, overseeing of estates, appointment of guardians, and the involuntary hospitalization of incapacitated adults, and over the issuance of firearm and marriage licenses.[11] There is a probate court for every county in Georgia.
State courts
- See also: Georgia State Courts
The State Courts of Georgia were created by predesignating certain county courts of limited jurisdiction. These courts exercise jurisdiction over all misdemeanor violations and all civil action except in cases were the Superior Courts have exclusive jurisdiction.[11]
Magistrate courts
- See also: Georgia Magistrate Courts
The Magistrate Courts of Georgia are courts that have limited jurisdiction and do not hold jury trials.
The Magistrate Courts have jurisdiction over the following:[11]
- claims of no more than $15,000
- minor criminal offenses
- distress warrants
- county ordinance violations
- deposit account fraud
- Preliminary hearings
- arrest and search warrants
Municipal courts
- See also: Georgia Municipal Courts
The Georgia Municipal Courts serve incorporated municipalities and try ordinance violations, issue criminal warrants, conduct preliminary hearings, and hear misdemeanor shoplifting and possession of marijuana cases. There are more than 380 municipal court judges in the state.[12][13]
Juvenile courts
- See also: Georgia Juvenile Courts
The Georgia Juvenile Courts have limited jurisdiction over delinquent children under the age of 17 and in special cases under the age of 18. The Juvenile Courts have concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Courts in some cases including capital felonies, custody and child support cases, and terminating parental rights.[13]
Business courts
- See also: Georgia Business Court
The Georgia State-wide Business Court has concurrent jurisdiction with the Georgia Superior Courts over equity cases and cases involving securities, the commercial code, internal business affairs, professional malpractice resulting from a business dispute, breach of contract claims between businesses, and more as provided by law.[14]
Tax court
- See also: Georgia Tax Court
The Georgia Tax Court will be a court in Georgia with statewide and concurrent jurisdiction with the Georgia Superior Courts. The Tax Court was established by a 2024 legislatively referred constitutional amendment. Judges will be nominated to a four-year term by the governor, subject to approval by the Senate and House judiciary committees.[15] The first term on the court is scheduled to start on April 1, 2026.[16]
In other states
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Administrative Office of the Courts of Georgia, "Courts of Georgia Diagram"
Footnotes
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Supreme Court Official Site, "Home," accessed September 10, 2021
- ↑ New Georgia Encyclopedia,"Supreme Court of Georgia," accessed June 13, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Georgia Court of Appeals, "Official site," accessed May 18, 2014
- ↑ Randy Evans, Atlanta Business Journal, Georgia Court of Appeals: So many applicants, so few slots," September 11, 2015
- ↑ Johnny Kauffman, WABE, "3 New Judges Coming To Georgia Court Of Appeals," October 26, 2015
- ↑ Georgia Constitution, "Article VI, Section 7," accessed May 18, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Superior Courts, "Welcome," accessed March 2, 2021
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Georgia Superior Courts, "What is the difference between State, Magistrate, Probate & Superior Courts?" accessed March 2, 2021
- ↑ Georgia Council of Municipal Court Judges: About
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Georgia Courts, "Legislator's Guide to the Judicial Branch," January 2007
- ↑ Georgia State Legislature, "House Bill 239," accessed September 5, 2019
- ↑ Georgia General Assembly, "HR 598 Georgia Tax Tribunal; vest judicial power; provide for venue and jurisdiction," accessed February 20, 2025
- ↑ Office of the Governor of Georgia, "Gov. Kemp Nominates Frank O’Connell for Georgia Tax Court Chief Judge," July 1, 2025
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Georgia, Northern District of Georgia, Southern District of Georgia
State courts:
Georgia Supreme Court • Georgia Court of Appeals • Georgia Superior Courts • Georgia State Courts • Georgia Business Court • Georgia Tax Court • Georgia Juvenile Courts • Georgia Probate Courts • Georgia Magistrate Courts • Georgia Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Georgia • Georgia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Georgia
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