Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB557 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 47 3294
2	2	House Bill 557
3	3	By: Representatives Hawkins of the 27
4	4	th
5	5	, Cox of the 28
6	6	th
7	7	, Clark of the 100
8	8	th
9	9	, Dunahoo of the
10	10	31
11	11	st
12	12	, McCollum of the 30
13	13	th
14	14	, and others
15	15	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
16	16	AN ACT
17	17	To amend Code Section 15-6-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
18	18	1
19	19	number of judges of superior courts, so as to provide for a sixth judge of the superior courts2
20	20	of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit; to provide for the appointment of such additional judge3
21	21	by the Governor; to provide for the election of successors to the judge initially appointed; to4
22	22	prescribe the powers of such judge; to prescribe the compensation, salary, and expense5
23	23	allowance of such judge to be paid by the State of Georgia and the counties comprising said6
24	24	circuit; to authorize the judges of such circuit to divide and allocate the work and duties7
25	25	thereof; to provide for the manner of impaneling jurors; to provide for an additional court8
26	26	reporter for such circuit; to authorize the governing authority of the counties comprising the9
27	27	Northeastern Judicial Circuit to provide facilities, office space, supplies, equipment, and10
28	28	personnel for such judges; to declare inherent authority; to provide for related matters; to11
29	29	provide for effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.12
30	30	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:13
31	31	SECTION 1.14
32	32	Code Section 15-6-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the number of15
33	33	judges of superior courts, is amended by revising paragraph (26) as follows:16
34	34	H. B. 557
35	35	- 1 - 25 LC 47 3294
36	36	"(26) Northeastern Circuit ............................................5 6"17
37	37	SECTION 2.18
38	38	One additional judge of the superior courts is added to the Northeastern Judicial Circuit,19
39	39	thereby increasing to six the number of judges of said circuit.20
40	40	SECTION 3.21
41	41	Said additional judge shall be appointed by the Governor for a term beginning22
42	42	January 1, 2026, and continuing through December 31, 2028, and until his or her successor23
43	43	is elected and qualified. His or her successor shall be elected in the manner provided by law24
44	44	for the election of judges of the superior courts of this state at the nonpartisan judicial25
45	45	election in 2028 for a term of four years beginning on January 1, 2029, and until his or her26
46	46	successor is elected and qualified. Future successors shall be elected at the nonpartisan27
47	47	judicial election every four years thereafter for terms of four years and until their successors28
48	48	are elected and qualified. The newly elected and qualified judge shall take office on the first29
49	49	day of January following the date of the election.30
50	50	SECTION 4.31
51	51	The additional judge of the superior courts of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit shall have and32
52	52	may exercise all powers, duties, dignities, jurisdiction, privileges, and immunities of the33
53	53	present judges of the superior courts of this state. Any judge of the Northeastern Judicial34
54	54	Circuit may preside over any cause, whether in their own or in other circuits, and perform35
55	55	any official act as judge thereof, including sitting on appellate courts as provided by law.36
56	56	SECTION 5.37
57	57	The qualifications of such additional judge and his or her successors shall be the same as are38
58	58	now provided by law for all other superior court judges, and his or her compensation, salary,39
59	59	H. B. 557
60	60	- 2 - 25 LC 47 3294
61	61	and expense allowance from the State of Georgia and from the counties comprising the
62	62	40
63	63	Northeastern Judicial Circuit shall be the same as are now provided by law for the other41
64	64	superior court judges of such circuit. The provisions, if any, enacted for the supplementation42
65	65	by the counties of such circuit of the salary of the judges of the superior courts of the43
66	66	Northeastern Judicial Circuit shall also be applicable to the additional judge provided for by44
67	67	this Act.45
68	68	SECTION 6.46
69	69	All writs and processes in the superior courts of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit shall be47
70	70	returnable to the terms of such superior courts as they are now fixed and provided by law,48
71	71	or as they may hereafter be fixed or determined by law, and all terms of such courts shall be49
72	72	held in the same manner as though there were but one judge, it being the intent and purpose50
73	73	of this Act to provide six judges equal in jurisdiction and authority to attend and perform the51
74	74	functions, powers, and duties of the judges of such superior courts and to direct and conduct52
75	75	all hearings and trials in such courts.53
76	76	SECTION 7.54
77	77	Upon and after qualification of the additional judge of the superior courts of the Northeastern55
78	78	Judicial Circuit, the judges of such circuit may adopt, promulgate, amend, and enforce such56
79	79	rules of practice and procedure in consonance with the Constitution and laws of the State of57
80	80	Georgia as they deem suitable and proper for the effective transaction of the business of the58
81	81	court; and, in transacting the business of the court and in performing their duties and59
82	82	responsibilities, they shall share, divide, and allocate the work and duties to be performed by60
83	83	each. In the event of a disagreement among the judges in respect hereof, the decision of a61
84	84	majority shall control, or, in the absence of a majority, the decision of the chief judge shall62
85	85	be controlling. The judges of the superior courts of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit shall63
86	86	have and are clothed with full power, authority, and discretion to determine from time to time64
87	87	H. B. 557
88	88	- 3 - 25 LC 47 3294
89	89	and term to term the manner of calling the dockets, fixing the calendars, and order of
90	90	65
91	91	business in such courts. They may assign to one such judge the hearing of trials by jury for66
92	92	a term and the hearing of all other matters not requiring a trial by jury to the other judges, and67
93	93	they may rotate such order of business at the next term. They may conduct trials by jury at68
94	94	the same time in the same county or otherwise within such circuit, or they may hear69
95	95	chambers business and motion business at the same time at any place within such circuit. 70
96	96	They may provide in all respects for holding the superior courts of such circuit so as to71
97	97	facilitate the hearing and determination of all the business of such courts at any time pending72
98	98	and ready for trial or hearing. In all such matters relating to the fixing, arranging for, and73
99	99	disposing of the business of such courts and making appointments as authorized by law74
100	100	where the judges thereof cannot agree or shall differ, the opinion or order of the chief judge75
101	101	as provided for in this Act shall control.76
102	102	SECTION 8.77
103	103	The drawing and impaneling of all jurors, whether grand, petit, or special, may be conducted78
104	104	by any of the judges of the superior courts of such circuit; and they, or any one such judge,79
105	105	shall have full power and authority to draw and impanel jurors for service in such courts so80
106	106	as to have jurors for the trial of cases before any such judges separately or before each of81
107	107	them at the same time.82
108	108	SECTION 9.83
109	109	The judges of the superior courts of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit shall be authorized and84
110	110	empowered to appoint an additional court reporter for such circuit, whose compensation shall85
111	111	be as now or hereafter provided by law.86
112	112	H. B. 557
113	113	- 4 - 25 LC 47 3294
114	114	SECTION 10.
115	115	87
116	116	All writs, processes, orders, subpoenas, and any other official paper issuing out of the88
117	117	superior courts of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit may bear teste in the name of any judge89
118	118	of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit and, when issued by and in the name of any judge of such90
119	119	circuit, shall be fully valid and may be heard and determined before the same or any other91
120	120	judge of such circuit. Any judge of such circuit may preside over any case therein and92
121	121	perform any official act as judge thereof.93
122	122	SECTION 11.94
123	123	Upon request of any judge of the circuit, the governing authorities of the counties comprising95
124	124	the Northeastern Judicial Circuit shall be authorized to furnish the judges of such circuit with96
125	125	suitable courtrooms and facilities, office space, telephones, furniture, office equipment,97
126	126	supplies, and such personnel as may be considered necessary by the court to the proper98
127	127	functioning of the court. All of the expenditures authorized in this Act are declared to be an99
128	128	expense of the court and payable out of the county treasury as such.100
129	129	SECTION 12.101
130	130	Except as expressly stated, nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter or repeal any102
131	131	provision of any local Act relating to the Northeastern Judicial Circuit. Nothing in this Act103
132	132	shall be deemed to limit or restrict the inherent powers, duties, and responsibilities of104
133	133	superior court judges provided by the Constitution and statutes of the State of Georgia.105
134	134	SECTION 13.106
135	135	This Act shall become effective for the purposes of appointing the additional judge upon its107
136	136	approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval, and for all other108
137	137	purposes on January 1, 2026.109
138	138	H. B. 557
139	139	- 5 - 25 LC 47 3294
140	140	SECTION 14.
141	141	110
142	142	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.111
143	143	H. B. 557
144	144	- 6 -