Tucked away on the 3rd floor of the Justice Center is the Office
of the Superior and State Court Administrator. This department
provides administrative support services to the Superior and State
Courts of the Circuit. These services include:
Budget, Financial Management, Court Informational Technology,
Personnel Services, Purchasing / Contracting, liaison with other
branches and agencies of the government and with the public.
The Court Administrator's Office has several divisions:
Extensive Law Library
The Law
Library is open to the general public and attorneys Monday -
Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. The library contains a basic
collection of reference materials covering the Georgia and Federal
practice areas.
The library contains extensive print and on-line services.
Electronic holdings include Georgia Law, Forms, Citator for Georgia
and Federal Law, and a Federal Practice Manual.
According to Simmons, the Board of Trustees of the Law Library
is very progressive and has made sure the library is a good
resource.
He adds that the library is heavily used and has the best single
collection between Downtown Atlanta and Macon.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
ADR is a mediation process ordered by judges for every
contested domestic matter before it is placed on a trial calendar.
This office is located on the 2nd Floor. Nancy
Parkhouse heads this division.
During this process, a third party mediator works with the
parties to settle the issues before the court. All mediators are
trained professionals. Mediation focuses on the needs and interests
of the parties rather than on rights and position. Clients pay for
mediation.
Seminar for Divorcing Parents
ADR also provides a mandatory Seminar
for Divorcing Parents. This four-hour session is held on the
first Tuesday of each month and focuses on the needs of children
during these times of stress.
The seminars are conducted by qualified professionals from
Families First and include topics on How families experience
divorce; Typical reactions of children; Developmental needs of
children; Skills that help children cope; and Pitfalls to
avoid.
Bailiffs
The Bailiffs for Superior and State Court also fall under Court
Administration. Chief Court Orderly Officer Gary
Higgins supervises this program.
Along with all of these functions, the office provides foreign
language and sign interpreters for courts within the circuit.
It is good to know our Court Administrator's Office provides
such a wide variety of programs for those going through the court
system.