A newsletter for Georgia’s judges highlighting the judicial branch across the state – both on and off the bench.
by Alice Culpepper Georgia Justice Project, one of the Judicial Council’s Access to Justice Committee’s partners in our Virtual Record Restriction Clinics, has helped establish a “Second Chance Desk” in the Cobb County Circuit Defender's Office. This desk provides a permanent, daily service to those seeking criminal record restriction and sealing for certain offenses. On … Continue reading Cobb County’s Second Chance Desk
Noting Georgia’s fiscal new year that begins each year on July 1st, JC/AOC staffer, Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez, recently spoke with her colleague, Drew Townsend, who serves as the Director of the Financial Administration Division and Chief Financial Officer for the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts. Drew Townsend, CFO for the Judicial Council of Georgia/Administrative Office of The Courts Interview condensed and edited for clarity. Noelle Lagueux-Alvarez: Happy Fiscal New Year to … Continue reading Meet Drew Townsend, Chief Financial Officer for the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts
We caught up with 85-year-old Senior Judge Kenneth Followill, who we learned served as the first secretary of the then newly-created Judicial Council in 1973. He received the Amicus Curiae Award from Justice Leah Sears while she was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Senior Judge Followill was also the guitarist in a … Continue reading Interview with Senior Judge Kenneth Followill: An Original Judicial Council of Georgia Member
A monitor outside the Senate Chamber at the Capitol showing initial passage of SB 163 by the Georgia Senate. by Cheryl Karounos - Governmental Affairs Liaison The pandemic and resulting Statewide Judicial Emergency Order changed a lot of plans in the last year and the Judicial Council’s legislative priorities were no exception. The initiatives that … Continue reading Successful Legislative Session for Judicial Council
The theme for this year's Women's History Month is "Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced." It is mostly carried over from the 2020 theme, as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic canceled many plans to celebrate last year. We managed to celebrate this theme through our "Read Aloud" series and our Law … Continue reading Celebrating Women’s History Month 2021
In honor of Black History Month in 2021, we asked several African American judges in Georgia who mentored, inspired, and helped them along the way. This February, we celebrate the people who helped lift others into judicial leadership roles. Each weekday we will post a new response on our social media pages; Twitter, Facebook, and … Continue reading Celebrating Black History Month 2021
Contributed by Laverne Lewis Gaskins, Esq. Because human beings escape perfection, mistakes in judgement are expected. However, in the context of the criminal justice system, mistakes of judgment occupy a different, more serious space. Because we live in a society of laws, people should be held accountable for their behavior. We accept and understand that … Continue reading On Record Restriction Clinics and Providing Opportunity
Greetings judges, as we close out the year we would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the all-important case count reporting period, where the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) asks the clerks of your respective court classes to submit caseload data for the previous year. Below is the Best Practices for Caseload … Continue reading Upcoming Caseload Reporting and Bench Card
In early December, we stopped by the Cherokee County Justice Center on a cold and rainy day to see a “Parking Deck Court” in action. As expected, it’s an efficient operation that is tackling the non-jury case backlog while protecting the public that passes through it. When traffic court first began to be held in … Continue reading Parking Deck Court in Cherokee County
Stephanie Hines, JC/AOC Judicial Services Division Director Condensed and edited for clarity Michelle Barclay: Congratulations, Stephanie, on your new job! Please tell our readers why you applied for the position of Judicial Services Division Director at the Judicial Council/AOC. People may not know that the Judicial Services Division includes: the Office of Research and … Continue reading Let’s Re-Introduce Stephanie Hines, JC/AOC’s New Judicial Services Division Director