State Court of Gwinnett County is a trial court with limited jurisdiction covering misdemeanor and traffic violations, prosecuted by the Solicitor’s Office, and all civil actions, regardless of the amount, unless the Superior court has exclusive jurisdiction.
About the State Court of Gwinnett County
In 1915, the State Court of Gwinnett County was created by the Georgian legislature. In both civil and criminal issues, the State Court only has a small area of jurisdiction.
A trial court called State Court has limited jurisdiction over minor and traffic offenses that are prosecuted by the Solicitor’s Office, as well as any civil cases of any value unless the Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction.
The facility was constructed on a 61 acre site. The total construction cost for the facility was 72 million dollars raised by an optional penny sales tax.
The east wing of the facility uses one-half of the 508,000 gross square footage of the facility and provides office space for all the county’s court and prosecutorial offices, as well as the law library.
Civil Cases
Mediation can be beneficial in almost any type of civil case ranging from contracts to personal injuries. Cases where there is a continuing personal or business relationship or where there are highly emotional issues involved are particularly suitable.
Mediation allows you to draft creative resolutions that better satisfy all parties.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
The State Court of Gwinnett County’s ADR program was created to offer litigants, with cases filed in the Gwinnett County Courts, a variety of ways to resolve their disputes which may be preferable to trial. The program offers dispute resolution processes designed to provide litigants with a full range of choices.
There are three primary processes available:
- Mediation, the most requested method of ADR in Gwinnett County, is a process in which a neutral third party facilitates settlement discussions between parties in conflict.
- Case evaluation is a process in which an experienced attorney gives advice on the strengths and weaknesses of each party’s position and may make an assessment as to how a judge or jury might react in the case.
- Arbitration is more similar to a trial. The arbitrator issues a decision on the case following an abbreviated hearing under informal rules of evidence.
Self-Help Center
Gwinnett County Treatment Court Program is a sentencing alternative for a person charged with DUI and a diversion program for a person charged with felony drug charges.
The program offers participants intensive outpatient treatment, random drug screening, and Court reviews in order to help reduce the recidivism rate among the substance abusing population.
Judges
Each of the seven judges who staff the bench is elected to four-year terms of office.
- Chief Judge Carla E. Brown (S3)
- Judge Emily J. Brantley (S1)
- Judge Shawn F. Bratton (S2)
- Judge Ronda S. Colvin (S4)
- Judge Veronica Cope (S6)
- Judge Erica K. Dove (S5)
- Judge Jaletta L. Smith (S7)
Location & Contact Information
75 Langley Dr,
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
Phone: 770-822-8100
Website
