Providing Access to Justice for All

The Alternative Dispute Resolution Program of the Superior Court provides mediation services to litigants involved in domestic (Family Court) cases and provides arbitration, mediation, and case evaluation to litigants involved in civil cases. The ADR Program offers the "Families in Transition" seminar, a court-ordered educational program for parties in domestic relations matters involving children (e.g. divorce, legitimation).

Business Court

Established as a pilot program in 2005, the Business Court provides a specialized venue for complex commercial litigation. The Business Court is staffed with Senior Judges who bring subject matter expertise and judicial experience to the management and timely resolution of such disputes. Eligible cases for the Business Court include cases with damages in excess of one million dollars that involve contractual disputes, commercial litigation or questions of corporate, limited liability company or partnership law.

Case Management

This Office keeps track of all cases - criminal, civil, and domestic relations - as they proceed through the justice system. This office also generates the annual case count to determine the exact number, type, and nature of each case considered by a Fulton Superior Court Judge.

Drug Court

In 1997, Fulton County's Drug Court opened to give non-violent drug-dependent defendants the opportunity to avoid jail time if they successfully completed an intensive drug-treatment program. Drug Court defendants must successfully complete the 12-18 month program, which requires them to report to Hope Hall, Superior Court's outpatient treatment facility. Each defendant must undergo random and scheduled drug testing every week. During this time, the defendants also make regular court appearances before a Superior Court Judge. Currently, Drug Court is supervising an active roll of more than 400 participants. Sixty-seven percent of Drug Court graduates are never convicted of another offense.

Family Court

Established in 1998, Family Court is an American Bar Association national model for unified family courts. The Family Court combines the talents of legal, psychological and social services professionals to resolve multiple family disputes in a coordinated manner. Family Court also sponsors community outreach activities and holds seminars on such topics as responsible fatherhood, credit counseling, and domestic violence. Additionally, the Family Court operates the Family Law Information Center, where individuals who wish to represent or educate themselves in family law issues have access to legal forms, a brief attorney consultation and reference material -- all at no or nominal charge.

Jury Services

Jury Services issues summons to citizens to honor an important civic duty and responsibility - service as a grand or trial juror. In 2008, 104,691citizens were summoned for trial jury service. In 1983, in an effort to make jury service more convenient to citizens, Fulton Superior Court became the first court in the State of Georgia to adopt a One Trial or One Day term of service for trial jurors. Grand jurors serve the two months of the court term.

Law Library

The Fulton County Law Library serves the legal information needs of the local judiciary, members of the State Bar of Georgia, residents of Fulton County and local government departments. The library provides access to internet research sites and houses a collection of approximately 18,000 volumes with emphasis on Georgia and Federal materials. The Law Library also operates the Jail Law Library, which provides legal materials for the inmates of the Fulton County Jail as required by Georgia law.

Mental Health Court

In 2006, the Fulton Superior Court instituted a Mental Health Court for defendants diagnosed with mental illness. In the first year the Court supervised 43 defendants. Of this group only 5 were rearrested. Previously they had been arrested a total of 766 times with 35 percent having been sentenced to prison.

Pretrial Services

Pretrial Services operates the Pretrial Release, Bond Reduction and 10% Bail programs, and appoints counsel to represent indigent felony defendants.
Pretrial Services seeks to
1) maximize the release of pretrial defendants from detention;
2) maintain a high appearance rate for court hearings; and
3) maintain a low rate of new crime after defendants are released.
Staff members at the Jail Intake Unit interview defendants and make recommendations regarding each defendant's suitability for release into the community.
The Supervision Unit directly monitors defendants who are released into the community; these defendants may be required to undergo violence counseling, mental health treatment, school attendance, random urinalysis or other court-ordered conditions.
Defendants supervised by Pretrial Services have a 97+ percent success rate for complying with release requirements and attending scheduled court hearings.
Staff also evaluate defendants for appropriateness for participation in the Drug Court Program.

Public Information

Through brochures, press releases, the Court's website and printed publications, the office seeks to keep the public informed about Court services and the judicial system. Public Information conducts Court Tours in which citizens may have the opportunity to speak to a Judge, observe a court proceeding. The office also administers the Court Ambassador volunteer program.