The Georgia Senate has passed Senate Bill 145, which proposes adding a sixth judge to the Augusta Judicial Circuit's superior courts. The bill, co-sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II (D–Augusta), Senator Max Burns (R–Sylvania), and Senator Lee Anderson (R–Grovetown), was approved on Friday last week and will now be discussed in the Georgia House of Representatives.
According to the Georgia State Senate Press Office release, Senator Jones expressed his satisfaction with the bipartisan support for the bill, stating, "I’m happy to see that SB 145 passed out of the Senate with bipartisan support. This is not a partisan issue but affects everyone in the Greater Augusta area. The current backlog of cases plaguing our circuit prevents those accused of a crime from receiving a fair and speedy trial. Adding a sixth judge will allow our judges to clear this backlog. I look forward to seeing this legislation pass swiftly through the House."
If approved, the Governor will appoint the additional judge to serve starting January 1, 2026. The goal is to reduce the current caseload burdening Augusta's courts.
