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The following was taken from a press release distributed by Cobb County Government on August 07, 2024:
COBB COUNTY, Ga. – Chief Judge A. Gregory Poole of the Cobb Judicial Circuit today took the extraordinary step of declaring a Judicial Emergency within the Superior Court of Cobb County due to serious issues that have arisen in the Superior Court Clerk’s Office within that circuit.
Judicial Emergencies are permitted under Georgia law when the Chief Judge determines there is an emergency so serious that the judicial system cannot function normally and that the public, in many instances, will not be able to use the judicial system or meet deadlines imposed on them by a court.
The Superior Court Clerk’s Office has been plagued by many serious issues before and since it undertook a software conversion in late June 2024. Though not an exhaustive list, the issues most impactful to the administration of justice are listed in the Notice. They include the inability of court staff and litigants to retrieve information about cases, inaccurate scheduling and notices, and inaccurate or incomplete documents.
The Chief Judge, after consulting with and with the full support of the other ten Superior Court judges in Cobb concluded that these issues are so serious as to impact or have the potential to impact due process and other constitutional rights of litigants. Given the issues and the severe nature of their impact, the Chief Judge concluded he has a duty to protect the litigants, attorneys, and the public from any adverse consequences of the present situation.
Under State law, the Judicial Emergency may suspend deadlines and otherwise grant relief for an initial period of 30 days. During this time, the Chief Judge hopes that the situation in the Clerk’s Office will improve such that another Emergency Order will be unnecessary. During this emergency, the Court trusts that all litigants and their attorneys will continue to be understanding and professional with one another in dealing with any issues arising from the emergency.
The Chief Judge directs that this notice and the enclosed Order be published, posted, transmitted, or otherwise announced so that all the parties affected, their counsel, and the public are made aware of the Judicial Emergency, as required by state law.
Read the full order here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/cobbcounty.org.if-us-east-1/s3fs-public/2024-08/Notice%20of%20Judicial%20Emergency%2024-10-9953_1.pdf