Georgia Official and Statistical Register 1983-84 - the Digital Library ...

Chapter VIIIJUDICIARY SYSTEM OF GEORGIASupreme Court of GeorgiaCourt of Appeals of GeorgiaSuperior Courts of GeorgiaCity, Municipal, Civil, Magistrateand State CourtsJUDICIARYSection 1Paragraph I. Judicial Power of the stale. The judicialpower of the state shall be vested exclusively in the followingclasses of courts: magistrate courts, probate courts, juvenilecourts, state courts, superior courts. Court of Appeals andSupreme Court. Magistrate courts, probate courts, juvenilecourts and state courts shall be courts of limited jurisdiction. Inaddition, the General Assembly may establish or authorize theestablishment of municipal courts and may authorize administrative agencies to exercise quasi-judicial powers. Municipalcourts shall have jurisdiction over ordinance violations andsuch other jurisdiction as provided by law. Except as providedin this paragraph, and in Section X, municipal courts, countyrecorder©s courts and civil courts in existence on June 30,1983,and administrative agencies shall not be subject to the provisions of this article.Paragraph 11. Unified judicial system. All courts of the stateshall comprise a unified judicial system.Cite: Consti. Ga. Art. VI, Sec. I. Pars. 1 and II.THE SUPREME COURTThe Supreme Court was created by an amendment to the1798 Constitution, which became effective under the Act ofDec. 22, 1835: but no enabling legislation was passed until theAct of Dec. 10, 1845 (Ga. L. 1845, p. 18). It was organized in1846 some seventy years after Georgia had become a state andthen consisted of three justices who rode the circuits. Thepresent organization of the Supreme Court is defined in theConstitution of 1983 (Art. VI, Sec. VI).The Supreme Court exercises exclusive appellate jurisdictionin the following cases: all cases involving the construction of atreaty or of the Georgia or U.S. Constitutions and all cases inwhich the constitutionality of a law, ordinance or constitutional provision has been drawn in question; all cases of election contest; cases involving title to land; all equity cases: allcases involving wills; all cases in which a sentence of death wasimposed or could be imposed; all habeas corpus cases; all casesinvolving extraordinary remedies; all divorce and alimonycases. It also has jurisdiction over cases certified to it by anystate or federal appellate court, and may review by certioraricases in the Court of Appeals of Georgia which are of gravity orgreat public importance.The Supreme Court supervises the Office of Bar Admissions,appoints the members of the two Boards responsible for theadmission of persons to the practice of law (the Board toDetermine Fitness of Bar Applicants, with seven members, andthe State Board of Bar Examiners, with five members) andmakes the rules governing the bar examination. It also hasresponsibility for supervision of the State Bar of Georgia.There are seven justices on the bench of the Supreme Court,and from time to time, they elect their Chief Justice and Presiding Justice. The qualifications for the office are admission topractice law for seven years and any additional requirementsprovided by law. The terms of office are for six years each,staggered so that two vacancies occur in one general electionyear, two in the next, and three in the following. The justices areelected on a non-partisan basis. The Governor fills any vacancyby appointment until the next general election when a successorto complete the unexpired term is elected.The Supreme Court makes and publishes its rules coveringevery phase of practice in and before the court. It has authorityto appoint its clerks, sheriff, reporter, law assistants and othernecessary personnel.See Const. Ga., Art. VI, Sec. VI and VII.Harold N. Hill, Jr., Atlanta. BornApril 26,1930 in Harris Co., Texas.Graduated Washington & Lee U.,1952; Emory U. Law School, LLB,1957. Omicron Delta Kappa, BetaGamma Sigma, Alpha Kappa Psi,Phi Eta Sigma, Sigma Nu. Attorney. Methodist. US Army, 1952-54. Asst. Attorney General, Ga.,1966-68. Exec. Asst. Attorney General, Ga., 1968-72, resigned. Justice, Supreme Court, Ga., Jan. 2, 1975-date. Presiding Justice,ibid., Dec. 20, 1980-Nov. I, 1982. Chief Justice, ibid., Nov. 1,1982-date. Wife, former Betty Jane Fell; 3 children.Thomas O. Marshall, Jr., Americus.Born June 24, 1920 in SumterCo., Ga. Graduated US NavalAcademy, BS, 1941; U. of Ga.,LLB, 1948. Chi Phi, Phi Delta Phi,BPOE, F&AM, Shriner. Methodist. US Navy-WW II; KoreanWar; USNR, 1954-61. Judge,Southwestern Circuit, 1961-74, resigned. Judge, Court of Appeals,Ga., Nov. 1974-July 1977, resigned.Justice Supreme Court, Ga., July 1977-dale.Presiding Justice.ibid.. Nov. 1, 1982-date. Wife, former Angie Ellen Fitts; 3children.Harold G. Clarke. Forsyth. BornSept. 28,1927 in Monroe Co., Ga.Graduated U. of Ga., LLB, 1950.Sigma Alpha Epsilon, OmicronDelta Kappa. Pres., State Bar ofGa.. 1976-77. Attorney. Presbyterian. US Army-WW II. Mbr., Houseof Rep., 1961-70. Justice, SupremeCourt, Ga.. Dec. 28. 1979-date.Wife, former Nora Gordon; 4 children.113