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Committee advances bill allowing Fulton County to use appointed judicial officers
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee advanced Senate Bill 10, which would allow judicial circuits with more than 15 superior court judges to appoint and pay judicial officers to improve case processing; the provision was described as limited to Fulton County. The committee voted to recommend passage.
Senate Bill 10, presented to the House Judiciary Committee, would permit judicial circuits with more than 15 superior court judges to create and fund appointed judicial officers to help handle certain superior-court matters.
Supporters told the committee the measure has two parts: one incorporates previously passed House legislation (House Bill 199) and the other creates the local-option authority for large circuits to appoint and pay judicial officers. The sponsor said the provision is intended to improve judicial efficiency where large dockets create delays.
Proponents pointed to family-court judicial officers in Fulton County as a successful model. Representative Oliver asked whether the provision had appeared in other bills; the sponsor said the language had been assigned to this committee but not previously heard here. Committee members noted that only one circuit in the state—Fulton County—meets the "more than 15 superior court judges" threshold described in the proposal.
A motion to give the bill favorable consideration was made and seconded. The committee voted in favor; the chair announced the bill passes the committee.
The bill text as presented includes a reference to prior measure House Bill 199 and a new local-option mechanism for circuits with the stated judge-threshold. The committee did not record a roll-call vote tally in the transcript.
