Terms and Compensation of Judges

1. Law
2. Georgia Code
3. Courts
4. Juvenile Code
5. Juvenile Court Administration
6. Terms and Compensation of Judges

1. Each appointed juvenile court judge shall serve for a term of four years.
2. The compensation of the full-time or part-time juvenile court judges shall be set by the superior court with the approval of the governing authority or governing authorities of the county or counties for which the juvenile court judge is appointed.
3. Out of funds appropriated to the judicial branch of government, the state shall contribute toward the salary of the judges on a per circuit basis in the following amounts:
   1. Each circuit with one or more juvenile court judges who are not superior court judges assuming the duties of juvenile court judges shall receive a state grant of $100,000.00;
   2. In addition to the amount set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection, each circuit which has more than four superior court judges shall be eligible for additional state grants in the amount of $25,000.00 per superior court judgeship exceeding four judges in such circuit;
   3. In circuits where the superior court judges elect to use the state grant for one or more part-time judges, the amount of the state grant shall be as follows; provided, however, that such grant shall not exceed the amount the circuit is eligible to receive under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection:
      1. For each part-time judge who works one day

         weekly............ $20,000.00

      2. For each part-time judge who works two days

         weekly............ 40,000.00

      3. For each part-time judge who works three days

         weekly............ 60,000.00

      4. For each part-time judge who works four days

         weekly............ 80,000.00; and =forme

   4. All state grants provided by this subsection shall be spent solely on salaries for juvenile court judges and shall not be used for any other purposes.

(Code 1981, §15-11-52, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2017, p. 122, § 2-1/HB 5.)

Editor's notes.

- Ga. L. 2017, p. 122, § 3-1(b)/HB 5, not codified by the General Assembly, provided that Part II of this Act shall become effective on July 1, 2017, only if funds are appropriated for purposes of Part II of this Act in an appropriations Act enacted at the 2017 regular session of the General Assembly. If funds are not so appropriated, then Part II of this Act shall not become effective and shall stand repealed on July 1, 2017. Funds were appropriated at the 2017 session of the General Assembly.

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Editor's notes.

- In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, decisions under pre-2000 Code Section 15-11-3, which was subsequently repealed but was succeeded by provisions in this Code section, are included in the annotations for this Code section. See the Editor's notes at the beginning of the chapter.

Setting of compensation.

- Superior court was authorized to fix the compensation of a juvenile court judge without the approval of the governing authority of the county. Peters v. Followill, 269 Ga. 119, 497 S.E.2d 789 (1998) (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-3).

OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

Editor's notes.

- In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, opinions decided under former Code 1933, § 24A-201 and pre-2000 Code Section 15-11-3, which was subsequently repealed but was succeeded by provisions in this Code section, are included in the annotations for this Code section. See the Editor's notes at the beginning of the chapter.

Existing terms unaffected by new judicial district.

- Terms of the existing juvenile court judge for the counties of Pickens, Fannin, Gilmer, Forsyth, and Cherokee are not affected by the creation of the new Appalachian Judicial Circuit. 1983 Op. Att'y Gen. No. U83-26 (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-3).

Superior court judge may fix salary of juvenile court judge.

- Judge of a superior court may not fix the salary of the juvenile court judge until such time as the salary of the juvenile court judge is no longer fixed by legislative act. 1974 Op. Att'y Gen. No. U74-68 (decided under former Code 1933, § 24A-201).

Term of office.

- Term of office of juvenile court judges appointed under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-18 (see now O.C.G.A. §§ 15-11-50 and15-11-52) was four years to run from the date of the expiration of the term of office of the juvenile court judge's predecessor in office. 1984 Op. Att'y Gen. No. U84-32 (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-3).

All juvenile court judgeships are to be appointed to a term equal to that of superior court judges, which is currently four years. The provision for state contribution for circuit-wide juvenile court judges' compensation conditioned upon appropriation of the necessary funds for that purpose does not delay enactment of the remainder of the 1982 amendment. 1987 Op. Att'y Gen. No. U87-5 (decided under former O.C.G.A. § 15-11-3).

Download our app to see the most-to-date content.