Georgia Criminal Records

• Georgia has 3,655,154 total people (FBI, 2018).
• Georgia is the 18th largest state by population.

Court System

• The Magistrate Courts of Georgia hear minor criminal offenses and civil claims involving amounts of $15,000 or less and they issue warrants. Some civil disputes handled in this court include ordinance violations, dispossessories, and landlord/tenant cases.
• The Probate Courts has original jurisdiction in the probate of wills, issuing marriage licenses, and giving out licenses to carry firearms.
• The Juvenile Courts handles all cases of youths, including deprived and neglected children, delinquency, offenses committed by children and traffic violations committed by juveniles.
• The State Courts had limited jurisdiction within one county and they hear misdemeanors, issue search and arrest warrants, and hold preliminary hearings in criminal cases and try some civil matters.
• The Municipal Courts handle traffic offenses, ordinance violations, and can conduct preliminary hearings.
• The Superior Court has civil and criminal jurisdiction. They deal with cases involving all felony trials and they have exclusive jurisdiction over divorces.
• The Court of Appeals reviews civil and criminal cases heard by the trial courts. They review many cases to correct legal errors or errors of the law.
• The Supreme Court has the power to review any cases from a trial court or the Court of Appeals. They also answer questions involving the constitutionality of state statutes and all criminal cases involving a death penalty.