Happy Spring, Georgia Courts Journal readers,
The Judicial Council of Georgia’s Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2025 has been published and archived. The AI Subcommittee of the Judicial Council Standing Committee on Technology, co‑chaired by Judge Kevin Morris and Judge Stephen Kelley, held its inaugural meeting on March 13th and will focus its work on three core pillars: (1) AI orientation (educating judges on what AI is and how it works), (2) AI best practices (guidance on proper and improper uses of AI), and (3) making the magic happen (practical ways to put AI to work in the courtroom and chambers). Additional updates will follow as this important work progresses. The Judicial Council Standing Committee on Judicial Workload Assessment also met this month and received an update on Georgia’s case count reporting period for CY 2025, which closed mid-month. At the March 20th meeting of the Judicial Council Standing Committee on Court Interpreters, Chair Justice Ben Land led discussions on updates to the Model Administrative Protocol and continued efforts to recruit additional interpreters. March was a critical period in the 2026 legislative session, and both the Standing Committee on Legislation and the Standing Committee on Budget were especially active. In fact, our hardworking Judicial Council/AOC Legislation Team worked late into the night on Friday, March 6th, as Crossover Day turned into Crossover Days, extending into early Saturday morning, March 7th, when the Georgia General Assembly adjourned at approximately 1am. Please consult our online bill tracking tool for legislation pertinent to the Georgia Judicial Branch, along with the Weekly Legislative Reports.
The Court of Appeals of Georgia has announced revisions to its rules, effective March 26, 2026. On March 23rd, the Council of Municipal Court Judges and the Georgia Municipal Court Clerks’ Council jointly hosted a successful Legislative Day at the Capitol. Congratulations to Dougherty Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court Judge Herbie Solomon, who has announced his retirement after 27 years of distinguished service on the Juvenile Court bench. Appointed in 1999, Judge Solomon is the sixth-longest-serving member of the Council of Juvenile Court Judges. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Douglas County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Adams’s Robes Reading Across Georgia initiative, which continues to expand. In 2026, 45 judges read to students across 32 schools statewide. Judge Adams, an avid reader since childhood, will share additional opportunities for participation in early 2027.
Legislative Day at the Georgia Capitol co-hosted by the Council of Municipal Court Judges and the Georgia Municipal Court Clerks’ Council.
Robes Reading Across Georgia.
Justice Charlie Bethel hosted Youth Leadership Columbia County, and Justice Verda Colvin welcomed students from Beacon Hill Middle School at the Supreme Court of Georgia this month. The Georgia Judicial Branch also collaborated to provide an engaging, hands‑on learning experience for elementary school students from the Mountain Judicial Circuit, when the Circuit’s Chief Juvenile Court Judge Lori Pearson organized and presided over a mock trial, joined by Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Brian Rickman, who served as the jury foreperson and facilitated a thoughtful debrief with the students. In early March, Presiding Judge Stephen Dillard, along with his Georgia Court of Appeals colleague, Vice Chief Judge Elizabeth Gobeil and Supreme Court Justice Verda Colvin, participated in Judge Dillard’s Appellate Practice and Procedure class at Mercer Law School.
We are saddened to report another courthouse fire in Georgia. The historic Floyd County Courthouse, which currently houses county offices including the Tax Commissioner, caught fire on Monday, March 23rd—less than six months after the Wayne County courthouse fire in September 2025. The incident temporarily disrupted operations at the current Floyd County Courthouse, located directly behind the historic structure. Chief Judge Jack Niedrach declared a local judicial emergency due to road closures surrounding both buildings. Fortunately, operations at the current courthouse in Rome resumed on Thursday, March 26th.
We are pleased to share our recent interview with Emily Youngo, the new Clerk of the Georgia State-wide Business Court. We also have encouraging news from the Conasauga Judicial Circuit, which recently celebrated the first two graduates of its new combined treatment court. This program addresses both mental health needs—presided over by Judge Scott Minter—and substance use disorders—presided over by Judge Bert Poston. For additional information about this innovative and inspiring initiative, please contact Clinton Stroble II, Coordinator of the Conasauga Treatment Court. More positive developments come from the Richmond County Juvenile Court, where 11 students earned diplomas through the court’s Thrive program.
The Georgia Council of Court Administrators (GCCA) held its Spring Conference on March 8–11, 2026, at Chateau Elan in Braselton, centered on the theme “Grounded in Purpose, Guided by Ethics.” In addition to sessions focused on effective court management, attendees raised $2,015 for this conference’s GCCA Cares recipient, Eagle Ranch. On March 18th, more than 30 GCCA members participated in “GCCA Day at the Capitol,” where Micah Gravley, President of G3 Government Affairs, Pete Skandalakis, Executive Director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, and GCCA President Lindsay Mobley addressed the group and offered appreciation for the important work GCCA provides to Georgia’s court system.
A portrait of the late Judge Russell “Rusty” Smith of the Mountain Judicial Circuit—who passed away in 2025 and is remembered with great fondness and respect—has been installed in the Stephens County Government Building. On a lighter note, we extend our appreciation to the Fulton County Magistrate Court for displaying its St. Patrick’s Day spirit! On March 4, 2026, DeKalb Superior Court Judge Gregory A. Adams received the 2026 Pioneer Award from the DeKalb Bar Association during its annual Bench & Bar dinner. Additionally, Eastern Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Tammy Stokes delivered the keynote address at Startup Savannah’s She Hustles event on March 25th.
We are very proud to recognize the accomplishments of our Office of Research and Data Analysis staff, who attended a data analytics conference at the University of Georgia in late March. At the event, team member Kate Heidenreich earned a bronze award in the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s Data Analytics Olympics for her submission highlighting the Judicial Council/AOC’s new dashboard for the Annual Case Count Project. We also congratulate our Program Manager for Child Support, Kurt Bryan, who was recently featured in the alumni magazine of his alma mater, Berry College, for his participation as a panelist at the National Child Support Engagement Association leadership symposium held in Atlanta. Finally, we are pleased to share a wellness article authored by Fayette County Magistrate Court Judge David Moore.
Call on us anytime. Talk to you in April.
Your JC/AOC Courts Journal team: Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez, Bruce Shaw, and JoAnna Deering