Bill Text: GA SB356 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Superior Courts; provide additional judge of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit; initial appointment; election and term of office
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-04-16 - Effective Date [SB356 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2011-SB356-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Superior Courts; provide additional judge of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit; initial appointment; election and term of office
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-04-16 - Effective Date [SB356 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2011-SB356-Engrossed.html
12 LC 29 5159S
(SCS)
Senate
Bill 356
By:
Senators Murphy of the 27th, Cowsert of the 46th, Hamrick of the 30th, Mullis of
the 53rd, Miller of the 49th and others
AS
PASSED SENATE
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Code Section 15-6-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
the number of superior court judges for each judicial circuit, so as to provide
for an additional judge of the courts of the Bell-Forsyth and Middle judicial
circuits; to provide for the initial appointment of such judges by the Governor;
to provide for the election and terms of office of such judges; to provide for
the compensation, salary, and expense allowance of such judges to be paid by the
State of Georgia and the counties comprising the judicial circuits; to provide
for jurors; to authorize the judges of the circuits to divide and allocate the
work and duties thereof and provide for the duties of the chief judges and
presiding judges; to provide for powers, duties, and responsibilities of judges
of said circuits; to provide for additional court reporters and personnel and
the compensation of such reporters and personnel; to declare inherent authority;
to provide effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
PART
I
SECTION 1-1.
SECTION 1-1.
Code
Section 15-6-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the number
of superior court judges for each judicial circuit, is amended by revising
paragraphs (5.1) and (24) as follows:
"(5.1)
Bell-Forsyth Circuit
"(24)
Middle Circuit
|
2
3"
2
3"
|
PART
II
SECTION 2-1.
SECTION 2-1.
A
new judge of the superior court is added to the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit,
thereby increasing to three the number of judges of said circuit.
SECTION
2-2.
The
additional judge of the superior court of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit
shall be appointed by the Governor for a term beginning January 1, 2013, and
expiring December 31, 2014, and until his or her successor is elected and
qualified. His or her successor shall be elected in the manner provided by law
for the election of judges of the superior courts of this state at the
nonpartisan judicial election in 2014, for a term of four years beginning on
January 1, 2015, and until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
Future successors shall be elected at the nonpartisan judicial election each
four years after such election for terms of four years and until their
successors are elected and qualified. They shall take office on the first day
of January following the date of the election.
SECTION
2-3.
The
additional judge of the superior court of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit
shall have and may exercise all powers, duties, dignities, jurisdiction,
privileges, and immunities of the present judges of the superior courts of this
state. Any of the judges of said court may preside over any cause, whether in
their own or in other circuits, and perform any official act as judge thereof,
including sitting on appellate courts as provided by law.
SECTION
2-4.
The
chief judge of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit shall be the judge who has the
most experience as a sitting judge of a superior court in the State of Georgia.
The three judges of said court may adopt, promulgate, amend, and enforce such
rules of practice and procedure in consonance with the Constitution and laws of
the State of Georgia as they deem suitable and proper for the effective
transaction of the business of the court; and, in transacting the business of
the court and in performing their duties and responsibilities, they shall
equally share, divide, and allocate the work and duties to be performed by each.
In the event of a disagreement between the judges as to the operation of the
superior court, the majority shall rule, or failing a majority, the decision of
the chief judge shall control.
SECTION
2-5.
The
qualifications of such additional judge and his or her successors shall be the
same as are now provided by law for all other superior court judges. The
additional judge's compensation, salary, and expense allowance from the State of
Georgia and from Forsyth County shall be the same as are now provided by law for
all other superior court judges. The provisions, if any, enacted for the
supplementation by Forsyth County of the salary of the judges of the superior
court of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit shall also be applicable to the
additional judge provided for by this Act.
SECTION
2-6.
All
writs, processes, orders, subpoenas, and any other official papers issuing out
of the superior court of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit may bear teste in the
name of any judge of said circuit and, when issued by and in the name of any of
said judges of said circuit, shall be fully valid and may be held and determined
before any judge of said circuit. All writs and processes in the superior court
of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit shall be returnable to the terms of said
superior court as they are now fixed and provided by law, or as they may
hereafter be fixed or determined by law, and all terms of said courts shall be
held in the same manner as though there were but one judge.
SECTION
2-7.
The
choosing of all jurors, whether grand or trial, may be by any of the judges of
the superior court of said circuit; and any such judge of the superior court of
said circuit shall have full power and authority to choose jurors for service in
said court so as to have jurors for the trial of cases before each of said
judges separately or before each of them at the same time.
SECTION
2-8.
The
three judges of the superior court of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit shall be
authorized to employ an additional court reporter for such duties and for such
compensation as such judges see fit, up to and including, but not exceeding, the
remuneration of the present court reporters of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit
as the same is now fixed or may hereafter be fixed. The additional judge shall
be authorized to employ other court personnel on the same basis as other judges
of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit.
SECTION
2-9.
The
governing authority of the county comprising the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit
is authorized to provide suitable courtrooms, jury rooms, and chambers for the
judges of the superior court of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit upon the
recommendation of said judges.
PART
III
SECTION 3-1.
SECTION 3-1.
A
new judge of the superior court is added to the Middle Judicial Circuit, thereby
increasing to three the number of judges of said circuit.
SECTION
3-2.
The
additional judge of the superior court of the Middle Judicial Circuit shall be
appointed by the Governor for a term beginning January 1, 2013, and expiring
December 31, 2014, and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. His
or her successor shall be elected in the manner provided by law for the election
of judges of the superior courts of this state at the nonpartisan judicial
election in 2014, for a term of four years beginning on January 1, 2015, and
until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Future successors shall be
elected at the nonpartisan judicial election each four years after such election
for terms of four years and until their successors are elected and qualified.
They shall take office on the first day of January following the date of the
election.
SECTION
3-3.
The
additional judge of the superior court of the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia
shall have and may exercise all powers, duties, dignities, jurisdiction,
privileges, and immunities of the present judges of the superior courts of this
state. Any of the judges of said court may preside over any cause, whether in
their own or in other circuits, and perform any official act as judge thereof,
including sitting on appellate courts as provided by law.
SECTION
3-4.
The
qualifications of such additional judge and his or her successors shall be the
same as are now provided by law for all other superior court judges, and his or
her compensation, salary, and expense allowance from the State of Georgia and
from the counties of such circuit shall be the same as that of the other judges
of the superior court of the Middle Judicial Circuit.
SECTION
3-5.
All
writs and processes in the superior court of the Middle Judicial Circuit shall
be returnable to the terms of said superior court as they are now fixed and
provided by law, or as they may hereafter be fixed or determined by law, and all
terms of said court shall be held in the same manner as though there were but
one judge.
SECTION
3-6.
The
three judges of the superior court of the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia in
transacting the business of said court and in performing their duties and
responsibilities shall share, divide, and allocate the work and duties to be
performed by each. In the event of any disagreement between said judges as to
the operation of the superior court, the decision of the senior judge in point
of service, who shall be known as the chief judge, shall control. The judge
with the longest period of time of service shall be the chief judge. The chief
judge shall be vested with the power to make all appointments whenever the law
provides for the superior court judge to make appointments. The three judges of
the superior court of the Middle Judicial Circuit shall have full power,
authority, and discretion to determine from time to time, and term to term, the
manner of calling the dockets and fixing the calendars and the order of business
in said court. They may assign the hearing of trials by jury for a term to one
of said judges and the hearing of all other matters not requiring a trial by a
jury to another judge, and they may alternate such order of business at the next
term. They may conduct trials by jury at the same time in the same county or
otherwise within said circuit, or they may all or any one of them hear chamber's
business and motion business at the same time at any place within said circuit.
They may provide in all respects for holding the superior court of said circuit
so as to facilitate the hearing and determination of all the business of said
court at any time pending and ready for trial or hearing. In all such matters
relating to the manner of fixing, arranging for, and disposing of the business
of said court, and making appointments as authorized by law where the judges
cannot agree or differ, the opinion or order of the chief judge shall
control.
SECTION
3-7.
All
writs, processes, orders, subpoenas, and any other official papers issuing out
of the superior court of the Middle Judicial Circuit may bear teste in the name
of any judge of said Middle Judicial Circuit. When issued by and in the name of
any judge of said circuit, they shall be fully valid and may be determined
before any judge in the regular course of business of said court. Any judge of
said court may preside over any cause therein and perform any official act as
judge thereof.
SECTION
3-8.
The
choosing of all jurors, whether grand or trial, may be by any of the judges of
the superior court of the circuit; and any such judge shall have full power and
authority to choose jurors for service in said court so as to have jurors for
the trial of cases before each of said judges separately or before each of them
at the same time.
SECTION
3-9.
The
additional judge of the superior court of the Middle Judicial Circuit shall be
authorized and empowered to appoint an additional court reporter for such
circuit, whose compensation shall be as now or hereafter provided by
law.
SECTION
3-10.
The
governing authority of each county comprising the Middle Judicial Circuit is
hereby authorized to furnish the judges of the superior court of the Middle
Judicial Circuit with suitable courtrooms and facilities, office space,
telephones, furniture, office equipment, supplies, and such personnel as may be
considered necessary to the proper functioning of the court. All of the
expenditures authorized by this Act are declared to be an expense of court and
payable out of each county treasury as such.
PART
IV
SECTION 4-1.
SECTION 4-1.
Nothing
in this Act shall be deemed to limit or restrict the inherent powers, duties,
and responsibilities of superior court judges provided by the Constitution and
statutes of the State of Georgia.
SECTION
4-2.
(a)
For purposes of making the initial appointments of the judges to fill the
superior court judgeships created by this Act, this Act shall become effective
upon its approval by the Governor or its becoming law without such
approval.
(b)
For all other purposes, this Act shall become effective on January 1,
2013.
SECTION
4-3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.