The Superior Court of Fulton County is a trial court of general jurisdiction handling both civil and criminal law actions. The twenty Judges of the Superior Court preside over cases involving misdemeanors, contract disputes, and various other actions. In addition, the Superior Court has exclusive equity jurisdiction over all cases of divorce, title to land, and felonies involving jury trials.
The Superior Court of Fulton County is in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, Fifth Judicial Administrative District.
Mission Statement
The Superior Court of Fulton County seeks to provide a forum in which legal disputes between citizens can be resolved in a fair and efficient process with attention to equal access, impartiality, efficiency, and safety. This mission is accomplished by practicing the key service objectives listed below:
- To provide access to justice to all citizens: The Superior Court of Fulton County seeks to eliminate all potential barriers to its services. To be successful, the Court must conduct its business openly, ensure access to proceedings to all persons with legitimate business before the Court, and make its facilities safe, accessible and convenient to use.
- To ensure expeditious and timely proceedings: The Superior Court has implemented processes to measure caseload processing timeframes and continue to make efforts to identify and remove delays.
- To promote equality, fairness and integrity for all persons conducting business in our court: The Superior Court is committed to adhering to all laws, procedural rules, ethics and decorum when acting in its judicial and administrative capacities. All Court decisions and actions must be based on individual attention given to cases without regard to factors such as gender, race, religion and socioeconomic background.
- To have independence and accountability as a separate branch of government: The judiciary is committed to maintaining its distinctiveness as a separate branch of government. Courts must both control their proper functions and demonstrate respect for their coequal partners in government. Judicial independence protects individuals from the arbitrary use of government power and ensures the rule of law.
- To restore public trust and confidence: This goal requires the court to meet the four objectives described above.
Divisions
Accountability Courts
Provides Adult Drug, Behavioral Health, and Veteran Accountability Court Programs
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Offers alternatives to litigation and provides opportunities for early, party-driven, fair resolution of conflicts
Business Court
Provides just, accurate, timely, and efficient resolution of complex commercial and business cases
Family Division
Provides a comprehensive approach to helping families in crisis by using both judicial adjudication and service intervention methods
Jury Services
Jury service is a serious, meaningful, and an important responsibility. The court has implemented innovative and streamlined practices designed to make jury service easy and convenient
Justice and Mental Health Taskforce
Responsible for creating data-driven action plans and recommendations that improve the use of public safety and behavioral health resources to maximize impact and measurably improve outcomes for people with mental illness involved in the justice system
Justice Resource Center
Staffed with customer service professionals who can provide information about the best self-help
Pretrial Services
Provides judicial officers with verified information for pretrial release determinations and monitors defendants released to the program
Office of the Court Administrator
The Office of the Court Administrator’s primary responsibility is to manage the administrative and business functions of the court, under the guidance of the Chief Judge. Court Administration employs non-judicial staff to manage critical justice programs and services, and provide support to 20 elected Judges, Senior Judges, and judicial officers.
Our mission is accomplished through the collaborative efforts of three Deputy Court Administrators, our internal/external justice partners, and our community stakeholders. Our organizational structure is grouped into four specialty areas which are supported by our 250 dedicated court professionals.
- Office of the Court Administrator
- Business Services & Infrastructure
- Court Services & Operations
- Case and Court Performance
Judges
20 elected Judges serve on the Superior Court of Fulton County
- Chief Judge Ural Glanville
- Judge Craig L. Schwall, Sr.
- Judge Henry M. Newkirk
- Judge Kimberly M. Esmond Adams
- Judge Kelly Lee Ellerbe
- Judge Robert C. I. McBurney
- Judge Jane C. Barwick
- Judge Thomas A. Cox, Jr.
- Judge Eric Dunaway
- Judge Belinda E. Edwards
- Judge Paige Reese Whitaker
- Judge Shukura L. Ingram
- Judge Kevin M. Farmer
- Judge Rachel R Krause
- Judge Emily K. Richardson
- Judge Rachelle Carnesale
- Judge Melynee Leftridge
- Judge Shermela J. Williams
- Judge Charles M. Eton Jr.
- Judge Scott McAfee
Location & Contact Information
136 Pryor St., SW
Suite J2-640
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: 404-612-4518
