Georgia House of Representatives - 1995/1996 Sessions

HB 236 - Western Judicial Circuit; add judge

Page Numbers - 1/ 2/ 3

Code Sections - 15-6-2

1. McBee  88th            2. Heard  89th             3. Scoggins  24th
4. Stancil  91st


House Comm: Judy       /                Senate Comm: Judy       /               
House Vote: Yeas 159   Nays 11          Senate Vote: Yeas 50  Nays 0            
              ----------------------------------------                          
               House          Action         Senate                             
              ----------------------------------------                          
              1/13/95  Read 1st Time         3/7/95                             
              1/23/95  Read 2nd Time         3/13/95                            
              2/27/95  Favorably Reported    3/13/95                            
              3/7/95   Read 3rd Time         3/14/95                            
              3/7/95   Passed/Adopted        3/14/95                            
              FS       Comm/Floor Amend/Sub                                     
              3/29/95  Sent to Governor                                         
              4/20/95  Signed by Governor                                       
              474      Act/Veto Number                                          
              7/1/95   Effective Date                                           
              ----------------------------------------                          
Immediately Transmitted to the Senate                                           
                                                                                
Code Sections amended: 15-6-2                                                   


HB 236                                           LC 14 6500S

                _________________________ offers the following
      substitute to HB 236:



                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                               AN ACT


  1- 1  To provide for the creation of new superior court judgeships
  1- 2  for certain judicial circuits; to amend Code Section 15-6-2
  1- 3  of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
  1- 4  numbers of superior court judgeships for each judicial
  1- 5  circuit, so as to change the number of judgeships for
  1- 6  certain circuits; to provide for the initial appointment and
  1- 7  subsequent elections of judges to serve in such new
  1- 8  judgeships; to provide for the powers, duties, jurisdiction,
  1- 9  privileges, immunities, and compensation of such judges; to
  1-10  repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

  1-11       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

                         SECTION 1.

  1-12  Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 15 of the Official Code of
  1-13  Georgia Annotated, relating to superior courts in general,
  1-14  is amended by striking Code Section 15-6-2, relating to
  1-15  numbers of judges for each circuit, and inserting in its
  1-16  place a new Code section to read as follows:

  1-17    "15-6-2. (Index)

  1-18    The number of judges for each of the superior courts for
  1-19    each of the judicial circuits shall be as follows:
  1-20        (1) Alapaha Circuit...............................  2
  1-21        (2) Alcovy Circuit..............................  2 3
  1-22        (2.1) Appalachian Circuit.........................  2
  1-23        (3) Atlanta Circuit............................... 15
  1-24        (4) Atlantic Circuit..............................  4
  1-25        (5) Augusta Circuit.............................  6 7
  1-26        (6) Blue Ridge Circuit............................  3
  1-27        (7) Brunswick Circuit.............................  4
  1-28        (8) Chattahoochee Circuit.........................  5
  1-29        (9) Cherokee Circuit..............................  3
  1-30        (10) Clayton Circuit..............................  4
  1-31        (11) Cobb Circuit...............................  7 8
  1-32        (12) Conasauga Circuit..........................  3 4
  1-33        (13) Cordele Circuit..............................  2



                                 -1- (Index)

                                                 LC 14 6500S

  2- 1        (14) Coweta Circuit.............................  4 5
  2- 2        (15) Dougherty Circuit............................  3
  2- 3        (15.1) Douglas Circuit............................  2
  2- 4        (16) Dublin Circuit...............................  2
  2- 5        (17) Eastern Circuit..............................  6
  2- 6        (17.1) Enotah Circuit.............................  2
  2- 7        (18) Flint Circuit................................  3
  2- 8        (19) Griffin Circuit..............................  4
  2- 9        (20) Gwinnett Circuit.............................  6
  2-10        (21) Houston Circuit..............................  2
  2-11        (22) Lookout Mountain Circuit.....................  4
  2-12        (23) Macon Circuit..............................  4 5
  2-13        (24) Middle Circuit...............................  2
  2-14        (25) Mountain Circuit.............................  2
  2-15        (26) Northeastern Circuit.........................  3
  2-16        (27) Northern Circuit...........................  2 3
  2-17        (28) Ocmulgee Circuit.............................  4
  2-18        (29) Oconee Circuit...............................  2
  2-19        (30) Ogeechee Circuit...........................  2 3
  2-20        (31) Pataula Circuit..............................  2
  2-21        (32) Piedmont Circuit...........................  2 3
  2-22        (32.1) Rockdale Circuit...........................  2
  2-23        (33) Rome Circuit.................................  3
  2-24        (34) South Georgia Circuit........................  2
  2-25        (35) Southern Circuit.............................  4
  2-26        (36) Southwestern Circuit.........................  2
  2-27        (37) Stone Mountain Circuit.......................  9
  2-28        (38) Tallapoosa Circuit...........................  3
  2-29        (39) Tifton Circuit...............................  2
  2-30        (40) Toombs Circuit...............................  2
  2-31        (41) Waycross Circuit.............................  3
  2-32        (42) Western Circuit...........................  2 3"

                         SECTION 2.

  2-33  Each additional judge appointed pursuant to this Act shall
  2-34  be appointed for a term of office beginning upon the first
  2-35  day of the month following the appointment and continuing
  2-36  through December 31, 1996, and until a successor is duly
  2-37  elected and qualified. All subsequent successors to such
  2-38  judges shall be elected at the general election next
  2-39  preceding the expiration of each term of office and shall
  2-40  serve for terms of office of four years beginning January 1
  2-41  next following their election, and until their successors
  2-42  are elected and qualified.




                                 -2- (Index)

                                                 LC 14 6500S

                         SECTION 3.

  3- 1  Each additional judge provided for in this Act shall have
  3- 2  and may exercise all powers, duties, dignities,
  3- 3  jurisdiction, privileges, and immunities of the present
  3- 4  judge or judges of his or her circuit. Any judge of any
  3- 5  circuit affected by this Act may preside over any cause and
  3- 6  perform any official act as judge thereof.

                         SECTION 4.

  3- 7  The qualifications of each additional judge provided for in
  3- 8  this Act shall be as provided by law for the present judge
  3- 9  or judges of his or her circuit. Each additional judge
  3-10  provided for in this Act shall receive the same
  3-11  compensation, salary, and expense allowance from the State
  3-12  of Georgia and from the counties of his or her circuit as
  3-13  the present judge or judges of the circuit. Any provisions
  3-14  heretofore enacted for salary supplementation by the
  3-15  counties of any such circuit shall apply equally to the
  3-16  additional judge provided for such circuit by this Act.

                         SECTION 5.

  3-17  All writs, processes, orders, subpoenas, and any other
  3-18  official paper issuing out of the superior courts of any
  3-19  circuit affected by this Act may bear teste in the name of
  3-20  any judge of said circuit and, when issued by and in the
  3-21  name of any of said judges of said circuit, it shall be
  3-22  fully valid and may be held and determined before any judge
  3-23  of said circuit, it being the intent and purpose of this Act
  3-24  to provide additional judges coequal in jurisdiction and
  3-25  authority with the present judge or judges of their
  3-26  circuits. Nothing in this Act shall limit or restrict the
  3-27  inherent powers, duties, and responsibilities of superior
  3-28  court judges provided by the Constitution and statutes of
  3-29  the State of Georgia.

                         SECTION 6.

  3-30  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are
  3-31  repealed.










                                 -3- (Index)