Fulton Superior Court Elects Chief Judge

Judge Cynthia D. Wright has been elected Chief Judge of the Superior Court of Fulton County. She will assume office in May 2010 following a transition period during which she will work closely with current Chief Judge Doris L. Downs.

Judge Wright has been a Superior Court Judge since 1996. She is currently one of three Family Court judges who hear all domestic litigation filed in Fulton Superior Court, Georgia’s largest trial court.

Judge Wright said her priorities as Chief Judge will include working with the Fulton Board of Commissioners and the State Legislature “as we address the pressing fiscal needs of the County and the State and to develop a better working relationship with all of our Fulton Justice System Partners.”

“If we join hands with each other we can’t point fingers,” Judge Wright said.

The Fulton Superior Court’s Chief Judge chairs meetings of the Court’s judges and is in charge of all administrative functions. The Chief Judge also represents the Court on the 24-member Judicial Council of Georgia, the state-level judicial agency charged with developing policies for administering and improving the courts.

Lawdragon, a guide to the nation’s best lawyers and judges, selected Judge Wright as one of the 500 Leading Judges in America. The Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia presented the 2006 Jack P. Turner Award to Judge Wright for her outstanding contributions and achievement in family law in Georgia. In 2000, Judge Wright also received the Joseph T. Tuggle, Jr. Professionalism Award from the Family Law Section of the State Bar Association of Georgia.
She is Budget Chair and Ethics Chair of the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution, a board member of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation and a former Board Member of the Georgia Women of Achievement.

Judge Wright was appointed to her position on the Fulton Superior Court by then Governor Zell Miller on November 1, 1996. She has since been elected to three terms without opposition. Prior to assuming her current judgeship, she served as a Judge of the State Court of Fulton County.
She also served as chief legal counsel to Governor Zell Miller for his first term (1991-1995). During that period of time, she authored the legislation and constitutional amendment which established the Lottery for Education. Prior to working with Governor Miller, earlier in her career, she was assistant legal counsel to Governor George Busbee (1978-1980).

Judge Wright’s private practice of law included work as an associate with the law firm of Troutman Sanders and as a partner in the law firm of Corlew, Smith and Wright. Judge Wright also served as corporate counsel to the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority. Upon first graduating from law school, Judge Wright served as a research associate with the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government. As a law student, Judge Wright pursued her interest in politics, public policy and law by interning with U.S. Senator Sam Nunn.

Judge Wright graduated magna cum laude from Wesleyan College, Macon, Georgia in 1974 and received her juris doctorate in law from the University of Georgia in 1977.

The Fulton Superior Court serves the county’s almost 1 million residents. It comprises both the Atlanta Judicial Circuit and the 5th Judicial District, Georgia’s only single-county Judicial Circuit and District.

Fulton Superior Court's 19 Judges hear administrative appeals and preside over civil, major criminal and domestic relations cases. And, because Fulton County includes the state’s capitol of Atlanta, by law the Court hears all lawsuits filed against state government.

To meet the challenges of these special circumstances the Fulton Superior Court has created a variety of innovative programs and services to provide meaningful access to justice for all. Other programs innovated by the Fulton Superior Court are one-jury or one-day juror service and specialized courts including Family Court, Business Court and Drug Court.

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Resolution to Declare an Economic State of Emergency

The following statement is issued by the Fulton County Justice System elected officials:

Less than one month ago, the criminal justice departments met with the Budget Commission and were informed that the 2010 budgets would be fully funded. Last week, we unexpectedly received word from the County Manager and his staff that this is no longer true. Because of a severe reduction in both the commercial and residential tax digests, Fulton County will be forced to reduce expenditures by at least $146 million. The County Manager also informed us that every county department must participate in the reductions--the criminal justice system’s share being $55 million with individual criminal justice departments asked to reduce budgets by around 25%.Today, the County Manager informed us that a new proposal would place the criminal justice departments’ share closer to $25 million.

At this time, the Board of Commissioners has made no final decision regarding the size of budget cuts that will need to be made. However, it is certain that the large decrease in revenue will result in a drastic reduction to Fulton County department budgets and the criminal justice departments will not be exempt. After careful considerations of the impact to the criminal justice system were a drastic budget reduction enacted, we the members of the criminal justice system have determined that the results would be disastrous. Not only would it result in the immediate loss of between 445 and 980 jobs, it would also, in our opinion, raise serious questions regarding public safety. Over the past decade, working together as a system, we have achieved numerous accomplishments such as:

• The jail population has been reduced from 4,300 to 2,500;
• We are now able to charge defendants within 30 minutes of arrest;
• The number of criminal cases pending in Superior Court has been reduced by 61%;
• As a result, although the Fulton County’s population has increased, and continues to increase, the violent crime rate has declined by 43%;

Despite these significant system improvements, there is more to be done. Not only does the proposed budget reduction threaten every system improvement made to date, if implemented as outlined, it could slow criminal court case processing to a near halt and eliminate all existing treatment court alternatives. This is not an acceptable outcome for our community. Therefore, we, the below signed criminal justice agencies, have decided to declare an Economic State of Emergency within the Fulton County criminal justice system. As a part of this Economic State of Emergency, our plan is to work together to implement system wide strategies that take into account our precarious financial situation while focusing all our attention and resources upon the primary tasks of maintaining public safety, i.e., the protection of citizens and the Fulton County community. Furthermore, our goal is to do so while maintaining employees and the integrity of the criminal justice system.

Signed by:
Doris L. Downs, Chief Judge, Superior Court
Albert Thompson, Chief Judge, State Court
Paul L. Howard, Jr., District Attorney
Vernon Pitts, Public Defender
Cathelene Tina Robinson, Clerk, Superior Court
Ted Jackson, Sheriff

Fulton Judicial System Budget Response

The Chief Judge of the Superior Court of Fulton County and the Fulton County District Attorney will present the response of the Fulton County Justice System elected officials to the proposed Fulton County 2010 budget at a news briefing on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

The briefing will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 7F of the Fulton Justice Center Tower, 185 Central Ave., S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303.

News media wishing to record sound or pictures at the briefing must submit a Rule 22 request via fax to: 404-335-2828 prior to noon Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Please email pio@fultoncourt.org if you plan to cover this event so your personnel can receive any assistance they may need to enter and set up prior to the briefing.

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Chief Judge leads Dubai Judicial Training

The following article appeared in the Nov. 10, 2009 edition of TradeArabia News Service

DJI hosts judicial training program

The Dubai Judicial Institute (DJI), a leading centre of law studies and judicial training in Dubai, is organising a three-day judicial training program in co-ordination with University of Georgia for aspiring judges, lawyers and district attorneys.

The International Judiciary Training Program (IJTP) is being held at the Institute’s Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hasher Hall and will run up to November 12.

To be held under the theme ‘Caseflow Management – USA Experience,’ the training sessions mark the first time that IJTP is partnering with a foreign organisation (DJI) and providing training outside the US.

The program will share the US experience in caseflow management and judicial leadership to assist in the development of the Emirates’ judiciary.

Prominent speakers will include judge Doris Downs, chief judge, Fulton County Superior Court, Atlanta Judicial Circuit; judge David Emerson, current member of the Georgia Supreme Court Technology Advisory Committee and member of the Judicial Counsel of Georgia; and Mark Beer, registrar of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts.

"This landmark event will usher in a new age in the UAE’s judicial system, bringing to the fore the best technologies and techniques for optimising and expediting the dispensation of justice."
"Our partnership with the University of Georgia brings us a step closer to establishing the DJI as a premier regional and international education and training institution for aspiring judges and public prosecutors. We have seen rapid growth in our judicature over the years, so IJTP provides us with the perfect opportunity to properly direct our efforts in our field," said Dr Jamal Alsumaiti, director general of Dubai Judicial Institute (pictured above).

"Organising this training program is in line with our vision and strategy to implement the best judicial practices and reinforce the position of Dubai Judicial Institute as a regional center for excellence in judicial and legal studies."

"DJI is the first institute in Middle East to offer such a specialised training program in judicial studies, and the participation of director generals of UAE courts and the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs in Bahrain reflects the significance of this training program to further enhance the quality of judiciary in the region," Dr Alsumaiti added.

Speakers at the training program will explain the management of routine and complex civil or criminal cases; particular considerations when handling the routine criminal case and implementing knowledge economy principles through judicial practices.

They will also discuss the use of case count data in trial case management and judicial administration; building and managing the finances for local court operations; and the role of the chief administrative judge.

Other topics to be discussed include the integration of technology into the judicial practice; the judge’s ethical duties; judicial values; and caseflow management and policies.- TradeArabia News Service

Copyright © 2007 TradeArabia.com All rights reserved

Superior Court names new Juvenile Court Judge

ATANTA - Fulton County Associate Juvenile Court Judge Bradley J. Boyd has been selected to be Presiding Judge of the Fulton Juvenile Court.

Judge Boyd, who has served as an Associate Judge for the Fulton Juvenile Court since 2006, fills the seat left open by the death of longtime Judge Sanford J. Jones.

He joins Chief Juvenile Court Judge Belinda E. Edwards and five Associate Judges at the state's largest Juvenile Court.

Judge Boyd, who began work at the Fulton Juvenile Court in 1973 as a probation officer, was chosen Wednesday by vote of the 19 Judges of the Superior Court of Fulton County. He was among five finalists for the position recommended by an independent selection committee.

Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Doris L. Downs praised Judge Boyd for having dedicated his life to the welfare of children.

"Brad Boyd is a truly dedicated public servant who has toiled in the trenches day after day and remains a spark of innovation that helps create systems that support the restoration of young lives," said Judge Downs. "We are truly fortunate to have Brad and all the other finalists for this position, each of whom would have been worthy choices."

Other finalists chosen from among 34 candidates for the Judgeship were attorneys: Jim Barfield, Angela Davis, Phillip Jackson and Juliette Scales.

Judge Boyd said the appointment is the opportunity of a lifetime and provides a challenge to continue the great work begun by Judge Jones and other predecessor judges of the Fulton Juvenile Court.

"In the years I have spent working in the Juvenile Court I have come to understand and appreciate the contributions and legacies of the Judges, other leaders in the courts, and the enormous contributions by hundreds of community members in building what is our Juvenile Court today," Judge Boyd said. "I am both honored and humbled that the Judges of the Superior Court have appointed me to help care for that legacy and carry it forward."

The Fulton County Juvenile Court is one of the oldest in the country. In 2008 there were 9,620 cases filed in the court, including 5,010 delinquency cases and 2,329 deprivation cases. The court conducted 23,848 hearings which were heard by six full time judges and several part time judges. The court employs a staff of 157.