In the United States, court systems between states differ while upholding the same general purposes. Georgia’s court system comprises six trial-level tribunals: the probate, municipal, juvenile, superior, magistrate, state, and probate courts. There are also two appellate-level judicatures, including the Supreme and the Court of Appeals (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2021). The Supreme court plays a significant role in exercising criminal and broad civil jurisdictions (Georgia Judicial Gateway, 2021).
The major responsibility of the civil courts is to carry out jury trials in civil issues. A jurisdiction limit of $25000 is placed on the civil courts in the court system of Georgia (Georgia’s Court System, 2021). Civil courts in Georgia exist in two types, and they are located in Richmond County and Bibb County. Petitions from civil courts are forwarded straight to the Court of Appeal of Georgia.
The Municipal courts have regulated rules over desecrations of city laws, the issuance of criminal permits, and abuses of city traffic rules. The municipal courts are also responsible for conducting initial hearings. There are three hundred and seventy municipal courts financed by the town or city they preside. Three hundred fifty appointed or elected judges have the role of overseeing the 370 municipal courts. All 159 counties in Georgia are assigned one magistrate court each.
The county funds the magistrate court, which has restricted jurisdiction over civil issues like eviction proceedings, tenant and landlord issues, check fraud, and ordinance violations (Georgia Judicial Gateway, 2021). Magistrate courts have jurisdiction over criminal matters, minor violations, issuing a warrant of arrest to law enforcers, holding preliminary hearings, and setting out bail for offenders.
Magistrate courts in Georgia do not have jury trials; hence, the parties argue civil trials rather than attorney generals. Juvenile courts handle cases about individuals below the age of eighteen years who are alleged to be aberrant and need guidance, counseling, and other crucial services. The services may include juveniles under seventeen with traffic violations and runaways, truants and ungovernable young people. Juvenile courts also handle cases of juveniles without parents and neglected or rejected juveniles. Juvenile courts correspondingly solve cases involving consent to marriage for underage people, emancipation proceedings, and enlisting young individuals in the military.
In addition, these courts have a parallel jurisdiction with probate courts in perpetual guardianship actions over juveniles (US Legal, 2021). They similarly handle child support and legitimation cases arising in impending dependency cases.
The main objective of juvenile courts is to protect and aid children in attaining their physical, mental, emotional, and moral welfare and their safety in the community they live. The superior court judges appoint the juvenile courts’ judges unless the domestic law organizes elections. State courts implement restricted authority in one county, where judges hear transgressions, like traffic breaches and arrest permits (US Legal, 2021). They, too, issue searches, hold preceding hearings in felonious cases and handle civil cases not reserved entirely for the superior law courts. State tribunals are recognized by domestic laws presented in Georgia’s General Assembly. Judges of state courts have four years’ tenure through countywide unbiased elections. Particular positions in the state courts are filled through Governors’ appointments.
Probate Court Original rule of administration and wills of deceased’s estates is structured to each probate court in counties of Georgia. Probate judges are mandated to order unpremeditated confinement of debilitated adults or other individuals and assign a permitted guardian to oversee the matters of specific personalities. Probate courts also issue permits to hold firearms and marriage certificates (Georgia’s Court System, 2021).
In counties without state courts, probate justices are responsible for hearing traffic law violations, particular misbehaviors, and cases involving fish laws and the state game. Probate judges serve as the county elections overseers; they also make appointments to local public servants and administer office pledges. In counties with a population exceeding 90000, the law recommends that the probate judge be a certified attorney general with experience of seven years.
In Georgia, the Supreme Court is the highest; it evaluates verdicts made by other tribunals in criminal and civil cases. The Supreme Court rules on the legitimacy of Georgia’s statutes, criminal cases relating to a death sentence, and appeals from the Court of Appeals (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2021). Trials are not held at the appellate level; verbal arguments are listened to by the entire Court. Every case the Supreme Court accepts for assessment is assigned to one of the nine judges (Supreme Court of Georgia, 2021). The judges plan an initial decision for circulation to other jurists, reviewing case records, examining trial records, and the prosecutors’ supplementary lawful briefings (Georgia’s Court System, 2021). The Supreme Court adopts or rejects an opinion after a lengthy dialogue by all justices in session.
The Presiding Justice and the Chief Justice act as servants of the Court for a term of two years. The Chief Justice is responsible for supervising the Court’s official session. The Court of Appeal is the first review for several criminal and civil cases decided by trial courts. Such reviews have a significant role in correcting law errors committed at the trial level and avoiding interference of jury decisions or the result of jury trials (Georgia’s Court System, 2021). The Court of Appeal comprises fifteen judges apportioned to one of the five bodies; the panels have three justices each. When a case is given to a panel, trial transcripts are reviewed by the judges. The panel reviews briefs handed in by the attorneys for the sides and the application segments of the record.
In conclusion, Georgia’s court system comprises six divisions of trial-level courts: the municipal, juvenile, superior, probate, state, and magistrate courts. In addition, the Georgia system has two appellate-level courts, namely, the Supreme and the Court of Appeal Court. Each Court handles specific matters with its respective judges. Different institutions fund various courts in the court system of Georgia. For instance, the Appellate levels are funded by the state revenue, while the county and state resources finance the juvenile and superior courts.
References
Georgia Judicial Gateway. georgiacourts. (2021). Web.
Georgia’s Court System. georgiacourts. (2021). Web.
Supreme Court of Georgia. gasupreme. (2021). Web.
US Legal, I. (2021). Georgia State Court – System. System.uslegal. Web.