Atlanta Accident Law Library
Metro Atlanta Courts: Fulton County
As the home of Georgia’s Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, Fulton County has the most courthouses of any Georgia county. Each one handles different kinds of cases, and each may have different rules. If you’ve got a legal matter pending in metro Atlanta, it’s important to know which court will hear your case. It’s also very important to make sure you know how to get to each one on time, find parking and follow the courthouse rules, because courts don’t usually forgive lateness. If you’re not on time, you may be punished by the court, held in contempt or even automatically lose your case.
Atlanta Municipal Court
Atlanta’s Municipal Court is the lowest court in Fulton County. It hears cases of people accused of violating a city ordinance or the Atlanta City Charter; traffic violation cases; and preliminary hearings for people accused of crimes under state law. The Municipal Court was consolidated with the City Court (also known as Traffic Court) in 2005, which means it now handles all the cases formerly handled by the traffic court.
The Atlanta Municipal Court has eleven judges who hear cases at one courthouse, the Lenwood A. Jackson, Sr. Justice Center. That’s located at 150 Garnett Street SW, downtown, near Atlanta City Hall and the Georgia State Capitol. Courts are in session from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, but the building closes to the public at 6:30 p.m. To get there from a highway, follow the driving directions provided by the court. Leave plenty of time to deal with downtown traffic and find parking. If you’re taking MARTA, take the South Line and get off at Garnett Station.
State Court and Magistrate Courts in Fulton County
Fulton County's magistrate courts are the county's small claims courts. Magistrate courts hear lawsuits that ask for $15,000 or less, except cases that must by law go to state court or superior court. They also hear trials of people accused of violating county laws, including traffic laws; issue warrants; and hold some bail hearings. There's a special magistrate court office for handling landlord-tenant disputes. There are six magistrates working in three magistrate court divisions: downtown, the North Annex and the South Annex.
Fulton County state courts hear all state-law criminal cases that aren't felonies, and all civil cases that aren't reserved for small claims or superior court. Those civil cases include lawsuits as well as foreclosures, wage garnishments and other non-criminal legal matters. There are 11 state court judges working in four courthouses.
State and magistrate courts share buildings and some administrative duties. They are open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The two courts are divided into two divisions downtown, at 160 Pryor St. SW and 185 Central Ave (the Fulton County Courthouse). SW; a north annex near Roswell; and a south annex in College Park, near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Driving directions to all of these divisions are available on the State Court's Web site. Remember to allow extra time for traffic, and if you're headed downtown, time to look for parking. The downtown courthouses are near the Garnett, Five Points and Georgia State MARTA stations. The North Annex and South Annex are not served by nearby MARTA stations, although you may be able to take a bus from area stations.
Fulton County Juvenile Court
The juvenile court in Fulton County has jurisdiction over most affairs pertaining to children and teenagers. They handle juvenile criminal proceedings for minors under age 17; cases of deprived or unruly children and teens under 18; runaway minors; teens with traffic citations; and consent to marriage or enlistment for minors. It also shares authority with superior courts over termination of parental rights; child custody and support in divorces; and minors who commit serious felonies.
There are seven juvenile court judges serving at one courthouse downtown, at 395 Pryor Street SW. The courthouse is open from 8:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The court provides driving, MARTA and bus directions on its Web site. It offers free parking. The court's Web site also offers a substantial amount of extra information for juveniles, families and adults with cases before the court.
Probate Court in Fulton County
The Fulton County probate court handles legal matters related to wills and inheritance; guardianship matters for minors and incapacitated adults; and cases of involuntary treatment for mentally ill, mentally disabled or substance-addicted people. It also issues marriage licenses and gun permits. If you're considering a courthouse marriage in Fulton County, you should start at probate court.
Fulton County's probate court is located in downtown Atlanta, in the Fulton County Courthouse building at 185 Central Avenue SW, which also houses state and magistrate courts. To get there, follow the state court's directions to "other downtown state and magistrate court divisions." The nearest MARTA stations are the Georgia State and Five Points stations. The court's hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. As with all downtown courts, allow plenty of extra time for traffic and parking.
Fulton County Superior Court
Superior courts in Georgia are divided into districts and circuits that usually contain more than one county, but Fulton County is so large that it needs its own superior court. The Superior Court of Fulton County is the busiest superior court in Georgia. It hears all felony criminal matters, all divorces, some misdemeanor criminal cases and some types of lawsuits in the county. It also hears appeals of cases from lower courts, which are requests by one side to correct a mistake. It contains the family court, which handles divorces, child custody and related matters; drug court, a special program giving nonviolent narcotics offenders an alternative to jail; and business court, which handles complex business lawsuits.
The superior court is located in the Fulton County courthouse building in downtown Atlanta, at 185 Central Avenue SW. The court is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and offers driving directions, MARTA directions and a map in PDF format on its Web site.
The Georgia Appeals System
Because Atlanta is the capital city of Georgia, Fulton County also houses our state's appeals system. An appeal is a request for a higher court to reconsider a ruling made by a lower court. If you lose a case in superior court or another local court, and you believe there was a mistake made that might have changed the outcome of the case, you have the right to appeal it. In most cases, you appeal it first to the Court of Appeals of Georgia. The Court of Appeals doesn’t hear trials; it decides matters of law, usually through written briefs only. If you have a case there, you probably won't be required to appear in person.
If you want to appeal a Court of Appeals ruling, or if you have a death penalty case or a case involving Georgia's state constitution, you can appeal it to the Georgia Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest court in our state, and in most cases, only the U.S. Supreme Court can overturn its decisions. Like the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court doesn't hear trials, although it sometimes holds oral arguments that might be open to the public.
The Court of Appeals is located at 47 Trinity Ave. SW in downtown Atlanta, just a block from Atlanta City Hall. It's open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and you must show a photo I.D. in order to enter the building. The Georgia Supreme Court is at 244 Washington Street, also in downtown Atlanta, and offers $3 parking when the General Assembly is not in session. The Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court both provide driving directions on their Web sites. If you're using public transportation, you can catch a bus from nearby Five Points, Garnett or Georgia State MARTA stations.
Do You Need Help With A Personal Injury in Metro Atlanta?
If you have a lawsuit pending in Atlanta courts -- or you're thinking of filing one -- and you need help, you should call the Atlanta law firm of Stokes & Kopitsky. Our personal injury lawyers represent Georgians who have been seriously injured or lost a loved one because of other people's carelessness. And because we know injured people sometimes have trouble making ends meet, we never take legal fees until and unless you win your case. To set up a free case evaluation, call us today at 1-800-552-9200, or in Atlanta, (404) 892-0011.
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.
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