Judicial COVID-19 Task Force
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the everchanging situation and resulting updates to guidelines, in addition to reading the Judicial COVID-19 Task Force Report, we recommend referring to the CDC Website. The CDC is curating the most current and accurate information and is the most up-to-date source to consult.
Task Force Profile
The Judicial COVID-19 Task Force was established May 14, 2020, as an ad hoc committee of the Judicial Council, with the mission of assisting courts in conducting remote proceedings and in restoring more in-court proceedings, in particular jury trials and grand jury proceedings. The Task Force will include judges from the various classes of court and will obtain input from key stakeholders including the State Bar of Georgia, prosecutors and public defenders, civil plaintiff and defense attorneys, court clerks, sheriffs, and the public.
Quick Links
COVID-19
Preparedness
Coronavirus information and guidance
Georgia COVID-19 Tracker
Real time COVID-19 statistics for Georgia
Judicial Emergency Orders
Filed Judicial Emergency orders and other guidance
Interview with Chief Justice Harold Melton
The Good-Judgement Podcast
COVID-19 Court Operating Guidelines
Search for court operating guidelines by county
Court Technology Resources
Find out how courts perform during COVID-19
Task Force Sub-Committees
Criminal Committee
Civil Committee
Jury Committee
Grand Jury Committee
Committee on Other Courts
Juvenile Committee
Interpreters and Court Reporter Committee
Technology Committee
Criminal Committee
- Judge Ken Hodges – Chair, Georgia Court of Appeals
- Judge Kathlene Gosselin, Chief Judge Superior Court Northeastern Judicial Circuit
- Judge Brendan Murphy, Chief Judge, Cobb County Magistrate Court
- Judge Norman Cuadra, Suwanee Municipal Court Judge
- Robert Smith, General Counsel – PAC
- Don Samuel, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Terry Norris, Executive Director Georgia Sheriffs’ Association
- Sheila Ross, Director of Capital Litigation – PAC
Civil Committee
- Judge Russ McClelland – Chair, Chief Judge, Forsyth County & Council President
- Judge Walter Davis, Business Court
- Elizabeth Fite, President-Elect State Bar of Georgia
- Kimberly D. Charles, Deputy Director – Atlanta Legal Aid
- Adam Malone, Executive Vice President, GTLA
- David Nelson, President – GDLA
- Bill Custer, GA Chamber – Law & Judiciary Committee
Jury Committee
- Justice Shawn LaGrua – Chair, Supreme Court of Georgia
- Judge Melanie Bell, Probate Judge of Newton County, Chief Magistrate, Newton County
- Chuck Boring, Director – JQC
- Cindy Mason, Columbia County Clerk of Court, Council President
- Don Samuel, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Sheila Ross, Director of Capital Litigation – PAC
- Kimberly D. Charles, Deputy Director Atlanta Legal Aid
Grand Jury Committee
- Judge Melanie Bell – Chair, Probate Judge of Newton County, Chief Magistrate, Newton County
- Cindy Mason, Columbia County Clerk of Court, Council President
- Robert Smith, General Counsel – PAC
- Clint Mueller, Legislative Director – ACCG
Committee on Other Courts
- Judge Lindsay Burton – Chair, Chief Judge, Hall County Juvenile Court
- Judge Russ McClelland Chief Judge, Forsyth County & Council President
- Judge Brendan Murphy, Chief Judge, Cobb County Magistrate Court
- Judge Norman Cuadra, Suwanee Municipal Court Judge
- Clint Mueller, Legislative Director – ACCG
Juvenile Committee
- Judge Lindsay Burton – Chair, Chief Judge, Hall County Juvenile Court
- Judge Melanie Bell Probate Judge of Newton County, Chief Magistrate, Newton County
- Cindy Mason Columbia County Clerk of Court, Council President
- Marilyn Primovic, Georgia Public Defender Council
- Michelle Barclay, Division Director – AOC
Interpreters and Court Reporter Committee
- Judge Norman Cuadra – Chair, Suwanee Municipal Court Judge
- Judge Russ McClelland Chief Judge, Forsyth County & Council President
- Judge Melanie Bell, Probate Judge of Newton County, Chief Magistrate, Newton County
- Maria Ceballos-Wallis GA/FL CCI, Chair, Spoken Language Interpreter Subcommittee
- Judge Dax Lopez, State Court, DeKalb County
- Judge Brendan Murphy, Chief Judge, Cobb County Magistrate Court
- Paul D Panusky, Esq, SC: L, Chair, Sign Language Interpreter Subcommittee
- Robin Rooks, Bell Forsyth Circuit Court Administrator
Technology Committee
- Judge Robert Leonard, Co-Chair
- Judge Russ McClelland, Co-Chair
- Judge Lindsay Burton
- Elizabeth Fite
- Adam Malone
- Judge Walt Davis
- Judge Jason Ashford
- Judge Stephen Kelley
- Judge Rachelle Carnesale
- Clint Mueller, Legislative Director
- Ben Luke
Task Force Members
- Justice Shawn LaGrua, Supreme Court of Georgia
- Judge Russ McClelland, Council of State Court Judges, Co-Chair
- Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, Supreme Court of Georgia
- Judge Robert D. Leonard II, Chief Judge Superior Court of Cobb County
- Chief Judge Asha F. Jackson, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit
- Judge Kathlene Gosselin, Chief Judge Superior Court Northeastern Judicial Circuit
- Judge Ken Hodges, Court of Appeals
- Judge Walter Davis, State-wide Business Court
- Judge Lyndsay Burton, Council of Juvenile Court Judges
- Judge Melanie Bell, Council of Probate Court Judges
- Judge Brendan Murphy, Council of Magistrate Court Judges
- Judge Norman Cuadra, Council of Municipal Court Judges
- Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, Fulton County Superior Court
- Elizabeth Fite, Past-President Georgia State Bar
- Stacy Haralson, Council of Superior Court Clerks
- Cynthia Clanton, Administrative Office of the Courts
- Bryan Webb, Georgia Department of Law
- Lynne Moore Nelson, Institute of Continuing Judicial Education
- Chuck Boring, Judicial Qualifications Commission
- Kimberly D. Charles, Deputy Director, Atlanta Legal Aid
- Robin Rooks, Georgia Council of Court Administrators
- Robert Smith, Prosecuting Attorneys' Council
- Marilyn Primovic, Georgia Public Defender Council
- Adam Malone, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
- David Nelson, Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
- Don Samuel, Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Clint Mueller, Association County Commissioners of Georgia
- William Custer, Georgia Chamber of Commerce – Law and Judiciary Committee
- Yvette Daniels, Georgia Department of Public Health
- Marial Ellis, Georgia Department of Community Health
- Phil Sellers, Department of Community Supervision
- Terry Norris, Georgia Sheriffs' Association