A newsletter for Georgia’s judges highlighting the judicial branch across the state – both on and off the bench.
Gratitude is the essence of the Thanksgiving holiday. After reading a Harvard Medical School study about gratitude and its positive effects, Michelle Barclay asked several judges who are members of the State Bar of Georgia’s SOLACE Committee and the State Bar's Wellness Committee about what they were grateful for in this daunting year. We hope … Continue reading Gratitude
By Judge Christopher C. Edwards and Taylor Wood Most courts and lawyers are familiar with more than one frequent frivolous self-represented plaintiff. These self-represented litigants file the bizarre complaints that are shared among lawyers as dark entertainment, resulting in hearings that resemble theater of the absurd, challenging even the best tempered jurists’ ability to be … Continue reading The Georgia Law of Screening Orders: Preventing Repeated Frivolous, Malicious, and Unsubstantiated Complaint Filings by Self-Represented Litigants
"My counselor helped me solve internal struggles while my mentor provided a friend like I’ve never had."Fayette County VTC Participant November is National Veterans & Military Families Month. To honor the sacrifices made by members of the military and their families, we are highlighting the work of Veteran's Treatment Courts (VTC): a type of court … Continue reading Veteran’s Treatment Courts: Serving Those Who Served
Michelle Barclay: Congratulations, Ben, on your new job! Please tell our readers why you applied for the CTO position at the Judicial Council/AOC. Ben Luke: I really enjoy what I do. I have a passion for technology and I've enjoyed serving and working alongside my customers at the Council of Superior Court Judges for the … Continue reading Meet Ben Luke, JC/AOC’s new Chief Technology Officer
Judge Lisa LottWestern Judicial Circuit Superior Court Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez: How long have you served as a judge and what was your path to the bench? Judge Lott: I took the bench in January 2019. So, I have been a judge for a little over a year and a half. My path to the bench started … Continue reading Focused on Safety, Public Access, and Getting Things Done in Athens-Clarke County: An Interview with Superior Court Judge Lisa Lott
Each year, the Judicial Council of Georgia’s Standing Committee on Judicial Workload Assessment honors the state’s most efficient courts with the Clearance Rate Excellence Awards. Only the top ten percent of courts within each class of court receives this prestigious award. Georgia’s most efficient courts during the calendar year 2019 are: Superior Court Clearance Rate … Continue reading JWAC Clearance Rate Excellence Awards
Michelle Barclay: Tell us a little bit about your path to becoming a lawyer and a judge. Judge Ragsdale: My reason for becoming an attorney had to do with my father who was often called for jury duty and his talking about jury duty around the dining table. It sounded fascinating. He was impressed often … Continue reading Interview with Associate Juvenile Court Judge Nancy Ragsdale of the Piedmont Circuit
Beginning in October 2020, Edwin T. Bell, deputy court administrator for the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit, joins the National Center for State Courts as the Director of Racial Justice, Equity and Inclusion. Michelle Barclay: Congratulations on your new position! It is great to see a Georgia Court Administrator moving to this national position. We are … Continue reading Interview with Edwin Bell, Recently Appointed Director of NCSC’s Racial Justice, Equity and Inclusion
by Robert Aycock, Governmental and Trial Court Liaison at the Administrative Office of the Courts On March 2, 2020, the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Georgia. As cases rapidly increased, it became apparent that the virus would present the state and its people with an array of difficult and unique challenges. As … Continue reading COVID Response in the Magistrate Courts
Judge Prine recalls his symptoms coming on fast. He worked at the Lowndes County Courthouse on Monday, July 20, 2020 where he wore a precautionary mask. That evening, he recalls feeling cold, and then waking with a fever in the middle of the night