Georgia Courts

Thank you, Hall County, for all the work you do in your drug court! From families restored to a thriving recovery community, Chief Judge Jason Deal celebrates how accountability courts change lives.

Thank you, Bartow County, for the work you do every day in your Drug Court. From addiction to advocacy—Kevin, a Bartow County Drug Court graduate, turned his life around, made amends, and now leads others in recovery. #Mypreventionstory

Thank you, Newton County, for the work you do every day in your Drug Court. Grace entered the Newton County Adult Felony Drug Court after years of addiction and found a new life. #MyPreventionStory

Congratulations to DeKalb County Chief Magistrate Court Judge Berryl Anderson who received the 2025 Franklin N. Flaschner Award from the American Bar Association Judicial Division’s National Conference of Specialized Court Judges (NCSCJ) for her integrity and judicial excellence.

The AOC hosted Data Literacy Training led by the National Center for State Courts this week.
Attendees developed skills in court statistics, data visualization, and more.

Georgia hosted the 2025 @ABAesq Forum on Building Access to Justice for All in Atlanta on October 15th-17th. @SupremCourtGA Chief Justice Peterson gave the opening keynote, and Justice Colvin and Justice McMillian spoke on panels.

Colquitt County Accountability Court (CCAC)-A Model of Recovery and Growth - The Georgia Courts Journal In honor of Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month, we have been highlighting success stories from Model Drug Courts around the state. The following is a story we received out of the Southern Judicia...

Thank you, Colquitt County, for the work you do in your accountability court! From addiction to advocacy, a Colquitt County Drug Court graduate is now a Certified Recovery Coach, business owner, and CACJ STAR Peer Award winner. #Mypreventionstory.
georgiacourtsjournal.org/2025/10/24/c...

Thank you, Appalachian Judicial Circuit, for the work you do every day in your Drug Court. Two graduates of the Appalachian Judicial Circuit Drug Court—now Certified Peer Support Specialists—are helping others find recovery. #Mypreventionstory #AccountabilityCourts

Thank you, Chief Judge Pamela White-Colbert of the Civil & Magistrate Court of Macon-Bibb County for speaking at the JC/AOC All Staff meeting today! Community involvement is essential to a work/life balance, and Judge White-Colbert demonstrates that fully.

2025’s National #HispanicHeritageMonthis coming to a close (Sep. 15 – Oct. 15), we celebrate by recognizing Georgia’s judges of Hispanic heritage and thanking them for their service to our State’s court system.

Thank you, Barrow County, for the work you do every day in your Drug Court. “My favorite thing in accountability courts is . . . .the way people are able to just turn around their lives.” Judge Andy Crawford. #MyPreventionStory

Thank you, Savannah-Chatham County, for the work you do every day in your Drug Court. “The thing that really inspires me are those participants who come to the program feeling hopeless, and over time, you see them change, inspired to live a life of sobriety.” -Judge Bass #MyPreventionStory

LEAP equips new reporters with essential knowledge about GA’s court reporting rules and regulations. This year’s seminar not only delivered valuable training but also offered meaningful networking and practical guidance. Attendees left feeling confident, informed, and ready to launch their careers.

The 2025 Learning Essentials About Professionalism (LEAP) seminar brought together 84 newly licensed court reporters eager to learn from experienced professionals in the field.

October is National Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month. Thank you, Atlantic Judicial Circuit, for the work you do every day in your Drug Court. A graduate now sponsors others in recovery, and another regained her sight & custody of her children. #MyPreventionStory

October is national Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month. Thank you, Clayton County, for the work you do every day in your Drug Court. From nights in jail to a supervisor role, a stable home, and family life restored—Ms. K shows what’s possible. #MyPreventionStory

September 2025 - The Georgia Courts Journal Happy Fall, Georgia Courts Journal readers!  Several Judicial Branch entities held meetings this month. The Criminal Case Data Exchange (CDX) Board convened a hybrid meeting hosted at the AOC. Congrat...

The September Georgia Courts Journal is available! georgiacourtsjournal.org

October is national Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month. We’ll be celebrating the transformative work of GA’s Drug Courts, which are supported by the Council of Accountability Court Judges. Stay tuned for success stories from Model Drug Courts throughout the State #MyPreventionStory

Yesterday, Co-Chair Judge Stephen Kelley led the JC Standing Committee on Technology, getting updates on the GA Case Management System project, AOC IT updates, Data Collection, Legislation, Criminal Case Data Exchange Board, and the Ad Hoc Comm. on AI & Courts.

What better way to honor Georgia Court Administrators Week than with @mygcca’s Fall Conference? Administrators from across Georgia are gathering today for superb training and collaboration. #GCCAleads

This week is Georgia Court Administrators Week, proclaimed by Governor Kemp. We proudly celebrate the court administrators who keep our justice system running with fairness and efficiency.

The Supreme Court of Georgia Committee on Justice for Children recently hosted a two-day Root Cause Analysis to address delays to reunification in foster care cases.

Thank you, Vice Chief Judge Elizabeth Gobeil of the Court of Appeals of Georgia, for speaking at the Judicial Council/AOC all staff meeting this morning. We were inspired by the story of how she became the leader (and great public speaker!) she is today.

YouTube video by Judicial Council of Georgia How do I Stay Involved Civically Post High School?

Learning about our Constitution doesn’t end in high school. To close our #ConstitutionDay flashbacks, Justice McMillian discusses how high schoolers can stay involved after graduation. youtu.be/DLW8PIQNVNk?...

In this #ConstitutionDay flashback, Justice Verda Colvin gives students a visual on the differences between the U.S. Constitution and Georgia’s State Constitution youtube.com/clip/Ugkx5IN...

YouTube video by Judicial Council of Georgia Should we rewrite the Constitution? Tifton Circuit Juvenile Court Judge Render Heard answers!

Why is the Bill of Rights separate? In this #ConstitutionDay flashback Judge Render Heard explains the reasoning behind the first 10 Amendments. Explore their importance & history. #ConstitutionDay youtu.be/_UOaNjXSBuo?...

YouTube video by Judicial Council of Georgia Did the Constitution set up the court system? Judge B. Shawn Rhodes of Wilcox County has the answer

Ever wondered how our court system came from the Constitution? In this #ConstitutionDay flashback, Judge B. Shawn Rhodes walks us through its origins. #ConstitutionDay youtu.be/scAtHeR7sY0?...

Another look back at our #ConstitutionDay animations. This one features Judge Cynthia Adams discussing the 6th Amendment and the importance of our jury system. youtu.be/gn09nlgOR3E%...

YouTube video by Judicial Council of Georgia Justice Carla McMillian answers a question about "We the People..."

What does ‘We the People’ really mean? In this #ConstitutionDay flashback, Justice Carla Wong McMillian reflects on those foundational words in our Constitution. youtu.be/Tu1X1J-Jr5w?...

Happy Constitution Day! Today we celebrate the framework of our democracy. We’re revisiting some of our most meaningful #ConstitutionDay moments beginning with this video featuring Georgia appellate judges explaining the “6 Big Ideas” that underpin our Constitution. youtu.be/zJs3tBcsRfM%...