A judicial emergency is defined as a state of emergency declared by the Governor, a public health emergency under O.C.G.A. 31-12-1.1, a local emergency under O.C.G.A. § 36-69-2, or another serious emergency when the emergency substantially endangers or infringers upon the normal functioning of the judicial system, including the ability of persons or litigants to have access to the court or meet time deadlines imposed by court order or rule, statute, or administrative rule or regulation. O.C.G.A. § 38-3-60(2).
Below is a list of circuits and courts that have filed judicial emergency orders. Each order contains specific details for each county. Click on the links to view an order for a particular circuit or county. Click on the links to view an order for a particular circuit or county. Please see our COVID-19 Preparedness site for more resources.
ORDER EXTENDING DECLARATION OF JUDICIAL EMERGENCY
Executive Order Regarding the Judicial Branch (04/03/20)
The Order Declaring Statewide Judicial Emergency supersedes local judicial emergency orders filed before it. Many orders below have been superseded by the Statewide Order and are available for informational purposes. If an addendum or additional order is filed by an individual court after the Statewide Order, the updated date will be shown next to the hyperlink.
| Judicial Circuit | Impacted Counties | Limited Jurisdiction Orders | Notes/General Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alapaha Circuit | Atkinson, Berrien, Clinch, Cook, Lanier | Magistrate Court of Cook
(Notice)
Probate Court of Cook |
Alapaha- Notice sites for Berrien, Cook Probate |
| Alcovy Circuit | Newton, Walton | Public notices regarding judicial emergency can be found at https://www.alcovycircuit.com/ | |
| Appalachian Judicial Circuit (05/13/20) | Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens | Calendar information for April and May hearings are included in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit Emergency Order. | |
| Atlanta Circuit | Fulton | Fulton State Court Standing
Orders (3) during the Judicial Emergency Order Magistrate Court of Fulton Amended Guidance (updated 5/21/20) |
Atlanta Circuit –Notice sites for Superior, State, Juvenile, Probate, Magistrate |
| Atlantic Circuit Updated 3-30-20 |
Bryan, Evans, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Tattnall | Municipal Court of Ludowici, Long | Notice sites for Bryan, Liberty, Evans, Long, Tattnall. As of 3/31 Tattnall Courthouse has no public access until further notice. |
| Augusta Circuit | Burke, Columbia, Richmond | Notice sites for Columbia, Richmond, Richmond Closure updates - May 18, 2020 |
|
| Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit update 05/15/20 |
Forsyth | Notice site for Forsyth | |
| Blue Ridge Circuit Updated 05/12/20 |
Cherokee | Amended Order on Public Access Notice site for Cherokee |
|
| Brunswick Judicial Circuit | Appling, Camden, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Wayne | ||
| Chattahoochee
Circuit Updated 3/16/20 |
Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Muscogee, Talbot, Taylor | Notice site for the Chattahoochee Circuit | |
| Clayton Circuit Updated 5/13/20 |
Clayton | Notice site for Clayton (separated by court class in the left menu). Clayton Judicial Center is being sanitized and has no physical public access from 4/6 through 4/8. See the Clayton Emergency Order for details. | |
| Cobb Circuit | Cobb | Municipal Court of Acworth, Municipal Court of Kennesaw, Municipal Court Notice of Clarification, Marrietta Municipal Court (Notice) , Magistrate Court of Cobb (Notice) Probate Court of Cobb (Notice) |
Notice site for Cobb |
| Coweta Circuit Updated 3/18/20 |
Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Meriwether, Troup | Municipal Court of Grantville, Coweta | |
| Dougherty Circuit update 05/15/20 |
Dougherty | Municipal Court of Albany, Dougherty | ***IMPORTANT***: Dougherty Courthouse is Closed to the Public. See the Dougherty Circuit Order for more details |
| Eastern Circuit Updated 3/24/20 |
Chatham | Juvenile
Court of Chatham
Municipal Court of Bloomingdale, Chatham |
Notice site for Chatham |
| Enotah Circuit | Lumpkin, Towns, Union, White | Notice sites for Lumpkin, Towns, Union, White. For the purpose of being sanitized, the following courthouses are closed to the public during the dates listed: Lumpkin County Courthouse from 04/06 through 04/07 and the Union County Courthouse from 04/06 through 04/10. | |
| Flint Judicial Circuit (04/08/20) |
Henry | Notice sites for Superior, Juvenile, State, Probate, Magistrate | |
| Gwinnett Circuit Updated 3/30/20 |
Gwinnett | Municipal Court of Dututh (04/08/20) | Notice site for Gwinnett, Gwinnett Clerks office is offering social distant services until 4/13, only one window is open for filing criminal complaints. |
| Houston Circuit | Houston | Notice site for Houston | |
| Lookout Mountain Circuit | Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Walker | Notice site for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit | |
| Macon Circuit | Bibb, Crawford, Peach | Macon-Bibb has limited access
to Superior Court Clerks Office through at least 4/13. Notice site for Peach |
|
| Mountain Circuit Updated 5/13/20 |
Habersham, Rabun, Stephens | Notice site for Habersham, Stephens. See the Mountain Circuit 04/06 Emergency Order Amendment for information regarding the use of video conferences. | |
| Northeastern Judicial Circuit (04/08/20) | Dawson, Hall | Notice site for the Northeastern Circuit | |
| Northern Circuit Updated 4/24/20 |
Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Madison, Oglethorpe | ||
| Ocmulgee Circuit | Baldwin, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Jones, Morgan, Putnam , Wilkinson | Notice sites for Baldwin,
Jasper, Jones, Putnam. Jones County Courthouse is closed to the public until further notice. |
|
| Pataula Judicial Circuit (04/09/20) | Clay, Early, Miller, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell | Municipal Court of Dawson, Terrell | Notice site for the Pataula Circuit |
| Paulding Circuit | Paulding | ||
| Piedmont Circuit | Banks, Barrow, Jackson | Magistrate
Court of Barrow (Notice: 3/17/20),
Municipal Court of Jefferson Updated 4/08/20 |
|
| Rockdale Circuit Updated 5/13/20 |
Rockdale | The Rockdale County Courthouse will be CLOSED on May 1, 2020 for cleaning. See the Emergency Judicial Order for Details. A mask is required when enter the Rockdale County Courthouse. |
|
| Southern Circuit | Brooks, Colquitt, Echols, Lowndes, Thomas | ||
| South Georgia Circuit | Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Grady, Mitchell | The Baker County Courthouse is closed to the general public.
The Calhoun County Courthouse is closed to the general public. See the Calhoun Judicial Emergency Order for more info. |
|
| Southwestern Circuit | Lee, Macon, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Webster | Magistrate Court, Lee
Municipal Court of Leslie, Sumter |
|
| Stone Mountain
Circuit Updated 04/07/20 |
Dekalb | Notice sites for Superior, State, Juvenile, Probate, Magistrate | |
| Tallapoosa Circuit | Haralson, Polk | ||
| Tifton Circuit | Irwin, Tift, Turner, Worth | Magistrate Court of Irwin
(Notice)
Municipal Court of Sylvester, Worth |
|
| Towaliga Circuit | Butts, Lamar, Monroe | Magistrate Court of Butts
(Notice)
Magistrate Court of Lamar |
|
| Western Circuit | Clarke, Oconee | Oconee Juvenile (03/31) | Athens Municipal Court Notice (04/06/20), Oconee County Courthouse and other government facilities are closed until April 26. Notice site for Clarke County |
Additional Information
Provisional Admission to the Practice of Law in Georgia
The Supreme Court of Georgia Reschedules Bar Exam
Memo from the Board of Court Reporting re the Emergency Order and 120 day rule
Statewide Judicial Emergency and Accountability Court Operations (03/17/20)
Memorandum regarding the impact on the Council of Accountability Court Judges