Chief Justice P. Harris Hines of the Georgia Supreme Court gives the State of the Judiciary address at the State Capitol Chief Justice P. Harris Hines of the Georgia Supreme Court gives the State of the Judiciary address at the State Capitol (Photo: John Disney/ ALM)

The Judicial Council of Georgia approved two new superior court judgeships Wednesday, one for the Griffin Judicial Circuit south of Atlanta and one for the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit to the north.

The council approved the requests during a meeting in Marietta after receiving data and recommendations on the workload of the current judges on those courts. The 27-member group is made up of judges from around the state and chaired by the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. This was the last meeting for Chief Justice P. Harris Hines, who will retire later this month.

The council's recommendation will be forwarded to the governor and the General Assembly for legislative consideration in the 2019 session. Legislators and law enforcement officers from the circuits concerned have already gone on the record in support of the expansions.

“The Gwinnett Judicial Circuit is a single-county circuit located in Gwinnett County,” the report filed with the council said. “The Gwinnett Judicial Circuit currently services an estimated population of 920,260, which is about eight percent of Georgia's total population. Gwinnett's drastic population growth of 13% since 2010 has made the county the second most populous in the State. The current population of this single-county circuit is more than four times the average population of Georgia's superior court circuits.”

The Griffin Circuit, composed of Fayette, Pike, Spalding and Upson counties, has experienced less dramatic growth, but still is in need of relief for its judges, according to letters supporting the expansion.

“From my understanding, existing judges are carrying caseloads equivalent of 5-6 judges, which is an overload and very problematic for judges, staff and citizens of the judicial district,” State Rep. Derrick Jackson,  D-Tyrone, told the council. “With the expansion of the filming and entertainment business in Fayette County, it is reasonable to anticipate that the courts will become more active with business related cases.”

If the Legislature approves next year, the additions would provide a fifth judge for Griffin and an 11th for Gwinnett.