The five-county Coweta Judicial Circuit, of which Carroll County is a member, could be getting a new Superior Court judge by mid-year under legislation that is likely to pass during this General Assembly session.
House Bill 742, which would add a seventh judge to the circuit, was passed by the state House Monday by a 160-1 vote. All Carroll County legislators voted for the bill. The legislation is now in the state Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, awaiting to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Randy Nix, R-LaGrange, with local co-sponsors including Rep. Kevin Cooke, R-Carrollton and Rep. Lynn Smith, Newnan.
The Coweta Judicial Circuit includes Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Troup and Meriwether counties. Current Superior Court judges include Quillan Baldwin, John Simpson, Dennis Blackmon, Jack Kirby, Bill Hamrick and Emory Palmer. The Superior Court is Georgia’s general jurisdiction trial court and covers both civil and criminal matters, such as felony cases, divorce cases, equity and cases over land titles.
The legislation resulted from a recommendation at last fall’s Judicial Council of Georgia meeting, where the group called for new judges for two circuits, based on caseload data. In addition to the Coweta circuit, a new judge for the Waycross circuit is also included in House Bill 742.
via Additional Superior Court judge likely – Times-Georgian: News.
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