Atlanta Accident Law Library
Metro Atlanta Courts: Clayton County
Most of the Georgia court system is divided according to counties. For Clayton County residents, that means you don’t have to drive all the way to downtown Atlanta if you're involved in a court case. If your legal matter took place in Clayton County or was filed in Clayton County, you can handle it in one of two Jonesboro courthouses.
Jonesboro Municipal Court
The local court in Clayton County is Jonesboro Municipal Court. If you're accused of breaking a Jonesboro city ordinance, including traffic violations and parking tickets, your case will most likely go to this court.
Jonesboro Municipal Court is held at 1 p.m. on Thursdays, with trials and arraignments (preliminary criminal hearings) on alternating weeks. Court is held at the Jonesboro Police Department building at 170 South Main Street in Jonesboro.
Directions and Parking: To get there, take state highway 138 from either direction, then go south on McDonough Street until it becomes Main; or take Herman Talmadge Highway/Tara Street north until Main splits off on the right. Leave extra time to find parking, because the court administrators report that parking is limited.
Clayton County Probate and Juvenile Courts
Clayton County's Probate Court is the court with original jurisdiction over all matters related to wills and inheritance in the county. The probate court also appoints guardians for minors and adults who aren't self-sufficient; issues marriage and firearm licenses; and many seek treatment for adults with substance abuse problems, mental illness or mental disabilities. Clayton County probate court is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Georgia's juvenile courts have original jurisdiction over almost all legal matters involving children and teens. Clayton County juvenile court hears all juvenile criminal cases that aren't felonies; cases of deprived or unruly minors; cases of minors who have run away, want to get married or want to join the military; and teens' traffic violations. In cooperation with Clayton County superior court, the juvenile court also helps with divorce cases with minor children; felony juvenile criminal cases; and cases where children might be taken away from their parents. Clayton County juvenile court is open from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It generally has two full-time judges and one associate judge. It offers several special programs for minors in foster care or with legal trouble.
Directions: Both the probate and juvenile courts are located at the Clayton County Courthouse, Annex Three, at 121 South McDonough Street, between Church Street and Mill Street/Courthouse Way. From state highway 138, go south on McDonough Street; from Interstate 75, take Jonesboro Road south until it becomes Main Street, then go east on Courthouse Way to McDonough.
State Court, Magistrate Court and Superior Court
Clayton County State Court is a limited-jurisdiction court. It hears misdemeanor criminal cases; traffic cases not handled by a municipal court; and all lawsuits that are not small claims or large, complex matters reserved for the superior court. This is also where you will find Clayton County's drug court and its law library. It generally has four full-time judges.
Magistrate court is Clayton County's small claims court. If you want to file a lawsuit in Georgia claiming $15,000 or less in damages, you must file it in magistrate court. Unlike other Georgia courts, magistrate court is designed especially for people who want to represent themselves. However, you are allowed to hire a lawyer. Clayton County magistrate court also hears certain misdemeanor criminal cases and county ordinance cases, holds preliminary hearings in more serious cases, handles landlord-tenant disputes and issues warrants. It may take on bond hearings and protective order matters from the superior court as well. It has four full-time judges and four part-time judges.
Clayton County Superior Court is the county's court of general jurisdiction -- meaning that it can handle any lower-court matter. The superior court handles all divorces, all criminal felony cases and certain types of lawsuits. It can also handle appeals from other Clayton County courts. As of March 2008, it has four full-time judges. The Clayton superior court is the only county in the Clayton circuit, which is part of the sixth judicial district of Georgia.
Directions and Parking: Clayton County's state court, magistrate court and superior court are all housed at the Harold R. Banke Justice Center in Jonesboro. The courthouse is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Directions to the courthouse can be found on the state court's Web site, but the address is 9151 Tara Boulevard, between Poston Road and Fayetteville Road. It offers parking, but you should still give yourself extra time to get there in case of traffic, and to go through security at the door.
Have You Been Injured in Metro Atlanta?
If you've been seriously injured by someone else's carelessness, you have rights. That includes the right to sue the person or organization that injured you for compensation for your injuries. Stokes & Kopitsky can help. We are an experienced Atlanta personal injury law firm. After more than 30 years of practicing law, we've won millions of dollars for our clients, compensation that can help pay past and future medical bills, make up for a lost income or ease the pain of losing a loved one. We can help with car, motorcycle and truck crashes; slip and fall accidents; workers' compensation disputes; and many other cases of serious injury. And we always offer free consultations to potential clients. To talk with an experienced personal injury attorney about your case, call Stokes & Kopitsky today at 1-800-552-9200 or (404) 892-0011, or click here to fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.
How to Contact Atlanta Injury Attorneys
Stokes & Kopitsky, P.A.
If you've been injured in a Georgia accident because of another person's fault - even if you were also at fault - we can help you. We're Atlanta injury lawyers Gregory M. Stokes and Neil J. Kopitsky, and we have over 30 years of experience helping injured people and their families get justice and payment when they are involved in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall, or workplace accident. We've recovered millions of dollars in payments for our clients in Atlanta accident, Atlanta accidental death cases, and Georgia injury or death cases.
Your initial telephone or office consultation is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL, and our fees are paid only from what we recover for you. There is no pressure; we want to help with your recovery and treat all our clients with courtesy, care, and respect. Please call toll-free any time, any day, to speak with us. We look forward to helping you. You can contact us at:
Atlanta Telephone: 404- 892-0014
Toll-free Telephone: 1- 800-700-5050
E-mail: info@skattorneysatlaw.com
You may also use the
form below to contact us. We will answer you as quickly as we can, both during the business day and after hours. Please remember that before we can become your attorneys, we must both first sign a written attorney-client agreement. We look forward to helping you.