General Court Information

Superior Court

Like all of the 159 counties in the State of Georgia, each of the four counties of the Tifton Judicial Circuit (Irwin, Tift, Turner, and Worth Counties) has a Superior Court. The Superior Court is the general jurisdiction trial court in the State of Georgia, handling both civil and criminal cases, and has exclusive, constitutional authority over felony criminal cases, divorce cases, cases seeking equitable relief, and cases regarding title to land. In addition, the Superior Court has some appellate jurisdiction from courts such as magistrate court and probate court. Because Tift, Turner, and Worth Counties have State Courts, the Superior Courts in those three counties generally do not handle any misdemeanor or traffic cases, but the Superior Court of Irwin County does handle misdemeanors as well as traffic cases for which a jury trial is demanded by the person accused.

The Superior Courts of the State of Georgia are organized into 49 judicial circuits; some circuits have only one county, while others may have five or more.

Superior Court judges are elected by the voters to four year terms in nonpartisan, circuit-wide races. To qualify as a Superior Court judge, a person must be at least 30 years of age, must be a citizen of Georgia for at least three years, and must have practiced law for at least seven years. If a Superior Court judge retires with at least ten (10) years of service as a judge, then he or she may take "Senior" status; that is, may be come a Senior Judge. Currently, the Tifton Circuit has one Senior Judge, John D. Crosby, who served twenty years as a duly elected judge of the Superior Courts of this circuit. Senior Judges may preside in cases in any circuit of the State of Georgia at the request of a local judge, an administrative judge, or the governor.

Magistrate Court

The Magistrate court's jurisdiction encompasses civil claims of $15,000 or less, county ordinance violations, applications for and issuance of arrest and search warrants, preliminary hearings, dispossessory writs, and distress warrants. No jury trials are held in this court. Appeals from this court are made to the Superior and state courts.

State Court

The State Court is a trial court with limited jurisdiction covering misdemeanor and traffic violations, prosecuted by the Solicitor's Office, and all civil actions, regardless of the amount, unless the Superior court has exclusive jurisdiction.

Probate Court

The Probate Court exercises jurisdiction in the probate of wills, the administration of estates, the appointment of guardians, and the involuntary hospitalization of incapacitated adults and other dependent individuals. This court also administers oaths of office and issues marriage licenses, gun permits, birth & death certificates, certificates of residency, and accepts passport applications.

Juvenile Court

Juvenile Court exercises jurisdiction in cases involving delinquent, unruly, and deprived children under 17. Juvenile court has concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior courts involving capital offenses, custody, child support cases, and termination of parental rights.

Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)

This body provides administrative support to the superior, state, magistrate, probate, and recorder's courts and acts as liaison between the citizenry and the courts.