State Court
The state court was established by a 1970 legislative
act that designated certain existing countywide courts of limited jurisdiction
as state courts. State courts may exercise jurisdiction over all misdemeanor
violations, including traffic cases, and all civil actions, regardless
of the amount claimed, unless the superior court has exclusive jurisdiction.
State courts are authorized to hold hearings on applications for an
issuance of search and arrest warrants and to hold preliminary hearings.
The Georgia Constitution grants state courts authority to review lower
court decisions as provided by statute.
The General Assembly creates state courts by local legislation. Legislation
also establishes the number of judges and whether the judges are to
be full or part-time. Part-time judges may practice law, except in their
own courts.
State court judges are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan, countywide
elections. Candidates must be at least 25 years old, have been admitted
to practice law for at least seven years, and have lived in the state
for at least three years.
This website best viewed in Internet Explorer 5 or later.
