Official Informal Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 – 12:00 PM Present: Charlotte J. Nash, Jace Brooks, Lynette Howard, Tommy Hunter
Absent: John Heard
1. Chairman’s Gwinnett Justice & Administration Tour The Board of Commissioners toured the Gwinnett Justice &
Administration Center. Presentations were given by Court Officials. No Official Action Taken.
Gwinnett Judicial Circuit 2015 BOC Tour
“We Produce a Safe Community”
Probate Court
Honorable Christopher A. Ballar Probate Court Judge
Probate Court Exercises Jurisdiction Over:
• Guardianships and Conservatorships of Adults and Minors • Probate of Wills • Administration of Estates • Year’s Support (12 Month Support)
• Involuntary Hospitalization
• Involuntary Mental Health Evaluations • Weapons Carry Licenses • Marriage Licenses • Fireworks Permits • Birth and Death Certificates • Certificates of Residence • Administer Oaths and Maintain Bonds of Elected Officials
Office Organization
• 29 Employees (24 F/T 5 P/T) • The Probate Court office is in two locations
within GJAC – Records and Licenses Division
• 5 Windows, 1 photo booth – Estate/Guardianship Division
• 4 Windows • 1 full-time mail processor
New Conveniences
Credit Cards • Began August, 2015
• $35,000 processed in August Birth & Death Certificates
• Can process them for all counties Wedding Appointments
• Schedule online Pro Bono Clinic
• 3rd Thursday of every month
Estates
Guardianships
Accountings
1,665
1,902
Weapons Carry Licenses
9,782 10,000
Marriages
6,354 6,690
Birth & Death Certificates Issued January - July
23,931
44,083
Orders Created
8,114 8,126
Magistrate Court
Honorable Kristina Hammer Blum Chief Magistrate
Magistrate Court Structure
• Operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, including nights, weekends & all holidays
• Is located at GJAC & the Jail Court Annex • Directly accessible to the self-represented public
and law enforcement • Staff includes:
– 1 Chief Magistrate (elected) – 5 Full Time Magistrates – 17 Part Time Magistrates – 1 Court Services Supervisor – 4 Calendar Coordinators – Approximately 20 Clerks (assigned)
Magistrate Court Civil Jurisdiction
• Civil Cases less than $15,000 • Garnishment Actions • Post-Judgment Collection • Landlord/Tenant Cases • Family Violence/Temporary Protective Orders
(by Designation) • Abandoned Motor Vehicle Claims • Personal Property Foreclosures
Magistrate Court Criminal Jurisdiction
• Arrest Warrants • Search Warrants • Citizen Warrant Application Hearings • First Appearance Hearings • Preliminary/Commitment Hearings
Magistrate Court Provides Judicial Assistance to Other Courts
Superior Court: • Full Time Magistrates assist Superior Court in all matters Civil,
Criminal & Domestic • Magistrate Court is designated to handle all applications and
trials on Petitions for Relief under the Family Violence & Stalking Acts (Protective Orders)
State Court: • Magistrate Court provides additional and replacement
assistance, as needed, to State Court • Part Time Magistrates handle the Jail Plea and Revocation
Program Other Courts: • Magistrate Court provides additional and replacement
assistance, as needed, to all other Courts in this Circuit as well as providing assistance to other Circuits in conflict cases
In 2014, Magistrates handled over 90,000 civil and criminal cases!
Magistrate Court Filings
52% increase in cases filed since 2005
Magistrate Court Filings only. No assistance cases included.
2014
Total Cases Filed Cases Per Day Cases Per Week
90,545 347 1,741
Magistrate Court Filings
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Small Claims 18,138 19,084 19,656 18,741 16,937
Dispossessions 25,374 25,899 25,825 23,962 23,893
Other Civil 15,543 24,841 27,008 27,745 26,221
Criminal 23,839 24,160 24,097 24,305 23,491
Solicitor’s Office
Rosanna M. Szabo Solicitor-General
Solicitor’s Structure Organization
Underfilled PositionsVAP Funded PositionsVacant PositionsPart-Time Positions
20004511Solicitor
20004514Legal Mgr
20004528IT Asc II
20004536Legal Asc I
20004654Intern
20004526Intern
2004527Intern
20004517Attorney, Sup
20004500Attorney I
20004529Legal Supv
20004509Attorney II
20004504Attorney I
20004537Legal Asc I
20004653Victim Witnes
20005184Attorney I
20004509Attorney I
20004539Legal Asc I
20004521Victim Witnes
20005860Attorney II
20004505Attorney I
20004541Legal Asc I
20004520Victim Witnes
20004525Clerk
20005702Clerk
20004507Attorney II
20004506Attorney I
20004655Legal Asc I
20004519Victim Witnes
20004510Attorney II
20004508Attorney I
20004543Legal Asc I
20008676Victim Witnes
20004515Attorney II
20004503Attorney I
20004540Legal Asc II
2006004Victim Witnes
20004516Attorney II
20004522Atty PT Jail
20004656Legal Supv
20004544Legal Asc I
20004542Legal Mgr
20005186Legal Asc II
20004547Legal Asc II
20006531Legal Asc II
20004534Legal Asc I
20004538Legal Asc I
20004545Legal Asc I
2006003Chief Investig
20004532Investigator
20004531Investigator
20004535Investigator
20004518Investigator
20004530Investigator
20004535Investigator P
20004523Investigat…
20004524Attorney II
20004502Attorney II
20004501Attorney I
20004499Attorney I
20004546Legal Supv
20004512Legal Asc I
20005859Legal Asc II
20004533Court Asc I
Staffing Comparison Per Capita
County Judge Staff Population Per Capita
Gwinnett 6 48 859,304 17,903
Dekalb 7 93 713,340 7,671
Cobb 12 70 717,190 10,246
Fulton 10 101 984,293 9,746
Clayton 5 38 264,220 6,954
Richmond 4 37 202,003 5,460
5,460 6,954 7,671
10,246 9,746
17,903
Recorder’s Court Citations Received
97,142 99,934 91,076 106,616 104,983
111,408
School Bus Camera Citations Received
State Court Cases Received
8,761
State Court Pending Cases
3,280
2,383
3,722
3,148
4,761
3,591
State Court
Honorable Pamela D. South Chief Judge
STATE COURT
• State Court is a trial court with limited jurisdiction. • Cases include misdemeanors as well as traffic
violations. • These cases are prosecuted by the Solicitor's Office. • Civil cases handled by State Court include torts,
contract actions, product liability, medical malpractice, and personal injury.
• State Court can also handle all other civil actions except where the Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction such as divorce, equity, and title to land.
State Court Filings
12% decrease in cases filed since 2005 2014
Total Cases Filed Cases Per Day Cases Per Week
21,050 81 405
State Court Filings
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Civil 17,028 21,771 29,033 34,087 36,950 33,159 20,204 15,376 13,131 12,048
Criminal 6,807 7,311 7,939 10,518 8,737 10,565 9,072 8,461 9,174 9,002
State Court Citizens per Judge
2014 Population (U.S. Census) / 2015 Judgeships
State Court Cases per Judge
2013 Caseload / 2015 Judgeships
District Attorney
Danny Porter District Attorney
1999 - 2014 DEFENDANTS D.A. NUMBERS, DISPOSITIONS, INDICTMENTS
AND PENDING
Superior Court
Honorable Melodie Snell Conner Chief Judge
SUPERIOR COURT
• Superior Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction. • The Superior Court has exclusive Constitutional authority
over all felony cases, domestic cases, cases involving title to real property and any case seeking equitable relief.
• These cases are prosecuted by the District Attorney's Office.
• The Superior Court also has jurisdiction to correct errors made by lower courts by issuing certiorari; as well as hearing direct appeals from the Board of Worker’s Compensation, Department of Labor (unemployment benefits) and lower courts such as municipal courts.
Superior Court Judges
Melodie Snell Conner
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
Debra K. Turner
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
R. Timothy Hamil
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
Ronnie K. Batchelor
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
Tom Davis
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
Warren Davis
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
Karen E. Beyers
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
Kathryn M. Schrader
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
George F. Hutchinson, III
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
Randolph G. Rich
Judicial Assistant
Calendar Clerk
Law Clerk
State Position Reimbursement
Position Number of Employees
Salary Reimbursement
Judicial Assistants 10 $468,317.88
Law Clerks 3 $129,465.00
Yearly Total 13 $597,782.88
Gwinnett County Ethnic Distribution 2000-2013
Superior Court Filings
1% decrease in cases filed since 2005 2014
Total Cases Filed Cases Per Day Cases Per Week
18,407 71 354
Superior Court Filings
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Domestic 7,694 7,764 7,622 7,690 8,028
Family Violence 2,768 2,665 2,619 2,393 2,568
Civil 3,198 3,092 3,012 2,782 2,582
Criminal 6,151 6,500 6,073 5,571 5,267
Superior Court Citizens per Judge
2014 Population (U.S. Census) / 2015 Judgeships
Superior Court Cases per Judge
2014 Caseload / 2015 Judgeships
Accountability Courts Grant Funding
• Total Grant Awards
• 2015 Projects – Replace counsel tables (54) in the courtrooms – Video conferencing system in the courtroom – Replace furniture in five offices
7/2014 – 6/2015 $781,716 7/2015 – 7/2016 $1,004,264
Interpreters
• In 2014, we received 2,690 requests for 44 different languages.
• We have approximately 9 interpreters working in
our courtrooms on a daily basis.
Interpreter Expenditures
Jury Selection
• Our jury pool is comprised of individuals who are registered to vote or hold a state ID in Gwinnett County.
• Currently there are 498,206 individuals in the jury pool.
• On average, 1,400 individuals are summoned to jury duty each week.
• One Day – One Trial
Issues With Jury Selection
• Language barriers – The need to call in more jurors to accommodate.
• Accounting for disqualifying factors and outdated information from DDS and Voter Registration. – Non-Residents of Gwinnett County – Deceased – Over the age of 70 – Mentally/Physically handicapped or disabled – Non-US Citizens – Felons
• We summons 50% more than expected in order to account for the disqualifications.
Indigent Defense
• Bill of Rights – Art. 1, Section 1, Para. XIV – “every person
charged with an offense against the laws of this state shall have the privilege and benefit of counsel”.
• In 2014, we received 14,284 invoices for indigent defense totaling $4,025,557.
Indigent Defense Expenditures
Clerk Of Court
Richard T. Alexander, Jr. Clerk of Court
Clerk of Court Divisions
• Real Estate Records • Magistrate Court Records • State Court Records • Superior Court Records • Appeals, Adoptions, Garnishments • Information Technology • Board of Equalization (2011) • Accounting-Finance (2012)
Judicial Case History
-
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015FCST asof June
2017Proj.
2019Proj.
Judicial Cases
2M
3M
1M
Case Count and Workload 2014
Superior Court 22,088 Civil and Criminal Cases
Real Estate 177,911 Deeds, Liens, UCCs
Notary / Trade Names 4,871 Notaries and Trade Names
State Court 21,050 Civil and Criminal Cases
Appeals 239
Case Count and Workload 2014
Magistrate’s Court Total 90,544
Civil Cases 43,576
Garnishments 23,477
Warrants 21,577
Warrant Applications 1,708
Shoplifting Citations 206
Clerk’s Record Storage
Historical Documents
Historical Documents
Clerk of Court Office Location
• Clerk is to be located in the courthouse. O.C.G.A. 36-9-6 Courthouse rooms to be used by county officers and O.C.G.A. 15-6-61.
• Clerk is required to grant public access to maps and plats O.C.G.A. 15-6-68 and all civil and criminal cases by Uniform Superior Court Rule 21.
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