Georgia Supreme Court
| Georgia Supreme Court |
|---|
|
| Court Information |
| Justices: 9 |
| Founded: 1845 |
| Location: Atlanta |
| Salary |
| Associates: $189,112[1] |
| Judicial Selection |
| Method: Nonpartisan election |
| Term: 6 years |
| Active justices |
| Charlie Bethel, Verda Colvin, John Ellington, Shawn Ellen LaGrua, Ben Land, Carla W. McMillian, Nels Peterson, Andrew Pinson, Sarah Warren |
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 Harold Melton.
As of July 2025, eight judges on the court were appointed by a Republican governor and one was initially selected in a nonpartisan election.
Georgia has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of November 17, 2025, there are 23 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 13 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.
In the 2020 election, Republicans had a net gain of two trifectas and two states under divided government became trifectas. Prior to that election, Georgia had a Republican trifecta. There were 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments.
Jurisdiction
This 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 corupus or certiorari. The court may also exercise jurisdiction over Georgia Court of Appeals cases found to be of great public importance.[2]
The following text from Article VI, Section 6 of the Georgia Constitution covers the organization and jurisdiction of the court:
| “ | General Appellate Jurisdiction of Supreme Court
Unless otherwise provided by law, the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction of the following classes of cases: (1) Cases involving title to land; (2) All equity cases; (3) All cases involving wills; (4) All habeas corpus cases; (5) All cases involving extraordinary remedies; (6) All divorce and alimony cases; (7) All cases certified to it by the Court of Appeals; and (8) All cases in which a sentence of death was imposed or could be imposed. Review of all cases shall be as provided by law. [3] |
” |
| —Georgia Constitution, Article IV, Section 6 | ||
Justices
The table below lists the current judges of the Georgia Supreme Court and the appointing governor.
| Judge | Appointed By |
|---|---|
|
Elected |
|
Judicial selection
- See also: Judicial selection in Georgia
Judges are selected using the nonpartisan election of judges system. Judges serve six-year terms. "When an interim vacancy occurs, the seat is filled using the assisted appointment method of judicial selection with the governor picking the interim justice from a slate provided by the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission consisting of eighteen members who are appointed by the governor and who serve at his pleasure. The commission recommends at least five candidates to the governor for each judicial vacancy, unless fewer than five applicants are found to be qualified. There is no requirement that the governor appoint a candidate from the nominating commission's list."[4]
The court's Chief Justice is elected from among and by the state's justices on a rotating basis.[5]
Qualifications
Minimum qualifications for election to the court are:
Removal of Justices
Justices may be removed in one of two ways:
- The Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission may discipline, retire, or remove a judge. Removal and retirement decisions must be reviewed by the supreme court.
- Judges may be impeached by the Georgia House of Representatives and convicted by a two-thirds vote of the Georgia State Senate.[5]
Elections
The nine justices on the Georgia Supreme Court are chosen by popular vote in nonpartisan elections. They serve six-year terms, after which they must run for re-election if they wish to retain their seats.[7]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
Chief justice
The chief justice is selected by peer vote and serves in that capacity for four years.[7]
Vacancies
If a vacancy appears on the court, the position is filled by assisted appointment. The governor chooses an appointee from a list of qualified candidates compiled by the judicial nominating commission. As of March 2023, the judicial nominating commission consisted of 35 members, each appointed by the governor. For each court vacancy, the commission recommends candidates, but the governor is not bound to the commission's choices and may choose to appoint a judge not found on the list.[8] If appointed, an interim judge must run in the next general election held at least six months after the appointment, and, if confirmed by voters, he or she may finish the rest of the predecessor's term.[7][9][10] There is one current vacancy on the Georgia Supreme Court, out of the court's 9 judicial positions. The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
2020
- Main article: Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2020
The terms of four Georgia Supreme Court justices expired on December 31, 2020. The four seats were up for nonpartisan election on May 19, 2020.
Judges with expiring terms
Candidates and election results
Bethel's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Supreme Court
Incumbent Charlie Bethel defeated Beth Beskin in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Charlie Bethel (Nonpartisan) | 52.2 | 1,098,264 |
 | Beth Beskin (Nonpartisan) | 47.8 | 1,006,065 | |
| Total votes: 2,104,329 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Warren's seat
General election
General election for Georgia Supreme Court
Incumbent Sarah Warren defeated Hal Moroz in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sarah Warren (Nonpartisan) | 78.7 | 1,652,532 |
 | Hal Moroz (Nonpartisan) | 21.3 | 446,026 | |
| Total votes: 2,098,558 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
- Main article: Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2018
The terms of five Georgia Supreme Court justices expired on December 31, 2018. Those justices stood for nonpartisan election by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench. The general election took place on May 22, 2018. Harold Melton, Michael P. Boggs, Nels Peterson, and Britt Grant were retained. John Ellington won election to the seat formerly held by Carol Hunstein, who did not file for retention.
2016
Candidates
■ David Nahmias
(Incumbent/Unopposed)
Results
| Georgia Supreme Court, David Nahmias' Seat, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| David Nahmias Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 775,214 |
| Total Votes (159 of 159: 100%) | 775,214 | |
| Source: Georgia Secretary of State Official Results | ||
2014
| Unopposed | Judge Harris Hines (Hines) |
|---|
| Unopposed | Judge Keith Blackwell (Blackwell) |
|---|
| Unopposed | Judge Robert Benham (Benham) |
|---|
- Click here for 2014 General Election Results from the Georgia Secretary of State.
- Election history, 2006-2012 (click to expand)
2012
Candidate Incumbency Primary Vote Election Vote Carol Hunstein 
Yes 99% Harold Melton (Georgia) Yes 99% Hugh Thompson Yes 99% 2010
Georgia Supreme Court, Associate Justice
2010 General election resultsCandidates Votes Percent David Nahmias
176,627 67% Tammy Lynn Adkins 86,938 33% - Click here for 2010 General Election Results from the Georgia Secretary of State.
2008
Georgia Supreme Court, Associate Justice
2008 General election resultsCandidates Votes Percent Harris Hines
2,801,588 100% Against retention 0 0% Georgia Supreme Court, Associate Justice
2008 General election resultsCandidates Votes Percent Robert Benham
2,812,875 100% Against retention 0 0% - Click here for 2008 General Election Results from the Georgia Secretary of State.
2006
Georgia Supreme Court, Associate Justice
2006 General election resultsCandidates Votes Percent Harold Melton
1,605,179 100% Against retention 0 0% Georgia Supreme Court, Associate Justice
2006 General election resultsCandidates Votes Percent George Carley
1,609,144 100% Against retention 0 0% Georgia Supreme Court, Associate Justice
2006 General election resultsCandidates Votes Percent Robert Benham
1,596,458 100% Against retention 0 0% Georgia Supreme Court, Associate Justice
2006 General election resultsCandidates Votes Percent Carol Hunstein
1,170,973 63.1% Mike Wiggins 683,483 36.9% - Click here for 2006 General Election Results from the Georgia Secretary of State.
Caseloads
The table below details the number of cases filed with the court and the number of dispositions (decisions) the court reached in each year. As of September 2019, the most recent year data was available was 2013.
| Georgia Supreme Court caseload data | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Filings | Dispositions |
| 2013 | 1,936 | 1,944 |
| 2012 | 1,936 | 1,963 |
| 2011 | 2,107 | 2,037 |
| 2010 | 2,036 | 1,869 |
| 2009 | 1,979 | 1,958 |
| 2008 | 2,060 | 2,160 |
| 2007 | 1,875 | 2,038 |
Noteworthy cases
The following are noteworthy cases heard before the Georgia Supreme Court. For a full list of opinions published by the court, click here. Know of a case we should cover here? Let us know by emailing us.
- Gross Negligence: Georgia Supreme Court sides with plaintiff in overturn of medical malpractice case, November 2013
- The University of Georgia produced a report covering Fifteen Famous Supreme Court Cases from Georgia, which can be found here.[11]
Political outlook
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan outlook of state supreme court justices in their paper, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns." A score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology while scores below 0 were more liberal. The state Supreme Court of Georgia was given a campaign finance score (CFscore), which was calculated for judges in October 2012. At that time, Georgia received a score of 0.09. Based on the justices selected, Georgia was the 20th most conservative court. The study was based on data from campaign contributions by judges themselves, the partisan leaning of contributors to the judges, or—in the absence of elections—the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice but rather an academic gauge of various factors.[12]
History of the court
In 1858, the Georgia legislature passed an act "decreeing that the decisions of the 13-year-old court had the force of law."[13] The first session of the court was held in Talbotton, Georgia on January 26, 1846. Three judges were chosen by the General Assembly, and were paid $2,500 per year. The men were Joseph Henry Lumpkin of Athens, Eugenius A. Nisbet of Macon, and Hiram Warner of Greenville. There were eleven superior court circuits, and the Supreme Court traveled to those courts. The Constitution of Georgia was amended in 1896 to allow for an additional three justices and provided the direct election of justices by the people. In 1945, the Constitution was amended to include a seventh justice.[5]
The Georgia General Assembly passed a bill in March 2016 to expand the number of justices from seven to nine.[14] Governor Nathan Deal signed the bill on May 3.[15] In November 2016, Gov. Nathan Deal (R) appointed Georgia Solicitor General Britt Grant and Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Nels Peterson to these two expansion seats.[16] They took the bench on January 1, 2017.
Notable firsts
- Former Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears became the first woman and the youngest person ever to serve on Georgia's Supreme Court in 1992 when she was first appointed by then-governor Zell Miller. Justice Sears was also the first African-American female Chief Justice on a state supreme court in the United States.[17]
- Joseph Henry Lumpkin was the first Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.
Courts in Georgia
In addition to the federal courts in Georgia, there are two types of appellate courts, one general jurisdiction trial court, and six limited jurisdiction trial courts. Their infrastructure and relationship are detailed in the section below.
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 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.[18]
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.[19] 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.[19]
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:[19]
- 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.[20][21]
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.[21]
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.[22]
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.[23] The first term on the court is scheduled to start on April 1, 2026.[24]
Party control of Georgia state government
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Georgia became a Republican trifecta following the 2004 elections when the Republican Party took control of the state House. The table below shows state government trifectas in Georgia from 1992 to 2019.
Georgia Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
State profile
| Demographic data for Georgia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 10,199,398 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 57,513 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 60.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 30.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3.6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 9.1% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 85.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28.8% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,620 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 21.1% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Georgia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Georgia
Georgia voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Georgia coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Georgia
- United States congressional delegations from Georgia
- Public policy in Georgia
- Endorsers in Georgia
- Georgia fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
- Georgia Supreme Court Official Site
- Georgia Supreme Court Blog
- The Predictable Unpredictability of the Georgia Supreme Court
- Ga. Supreme Court: No new trial for Troy Davis
- Georgia judicial qualifications commission (dead link)
- Lackluster election for state supreme court justices, June 27, 2008.
- Fringe Tactics: Special Interest Groups Target Judicial Races (timed out)
- Fayette County News, "Judicial elections can be scary," March 29, 2011
Footnotes
- ↑ The salary of the chief justice may be higher than an associate justice.
- ↑ Georgia Supreme Court Official Site
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Georgia Supreme Court: Official Website
- ↑ Up until 2000, the requirement for years of service was five years, but a new constitutional amendment (Georgia Amendment 7) was approved in 2000 changing the years to seven.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Georgia; Judicial Nominating Commissions," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Governor Brian Kemp, "Executive Order," accessed March 29, 2023
- ↑ Governor Brian Kemp, "Gov. Kemp Names 35 to Judicial Nominating Commission," October 27, 2021
- ↑ University of Georgia Law, "Fifteen Famous Supreme Court Cases from Georgia," June 1, 2004
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
- ↑ "[F]rom and after the passage of this act the decisions of the Supreme Court of this State...shall not be reversed, overruled or changed; but the same is hereby declared to be, and shall be considered, regarded and observed by all the Courts of this State, as the law of this State, when it has not been changed by legislative enactment, as fully, and to have the same effect, as if the same had been enacted in terms by the General Assembly. Acts of 1858, pp. 74-75.
- ↑ Georgia General Assembly, "House Bill 927," accessed March 24, 2016
- ↑ The Florida Times-Union, "Georgia governor OK's bill expanding state Supreme Court by 2," May 4, 2016
- ↑ Daily Report, "Deal Appoints Five New Appellate Judges," November 9, 2016
- ↑ ABC News, "Leah Ward Sears, African-American Woman, on Obama's Short List for High Court," April 12, 2010
- ↑ Georgia Superior Courts, "Welcome," accessed March 2, 2021
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Georgia Superior Courts, "What is the difference between State, Magistrate, Probate & Superior Courts?" accessed March 2, 2021
- ↑ Georgia Council of Municipal Court Judges: About
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 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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