Mr. Wilson's Georgia History Website Liberty Middle School- Cumming, Georgia
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  • About
  • 1st Semester Units
    • Unit 1- Geography of Georgia
    • Unit 2- Prehistoric Georgia/ Age of Exploration
    • Unit 3- Colonial Georgia
    • Unit 4- The American Revolution in Georgia
    • Unit 5- Georgia's Government >
      • Foundations of Ga. Government
      • The Legislative Branch
      • The Executive Branch
      • The Judicial Branch
      • The Juvenile Justice System
      • Local Government
    • Unit 6- Georgia Statehood and Indian Removal
  • 2nd Semester Units
    • Unit 7A- Antebellum Georgia
    • Unit 7B- Georgia and the Civil War
    • Unit 8- Reconstruction in Georgia
    • Unit 9- The New South and Progressive Era in Georgia
    • Unit 10- Georgia Between Two Wars
    • Unit 11A- Modern Georgia
    • Unit 11B- Modern Georgia
    • Unit 11C - Modern Georgia
  • Links

The Court System- Georgia's Judicial Branch

SS8CG4- Analyze the role of the judicial branch in Georgia state government.
A. Describe the ways that judges are selected in Georgia.
B. Analyze the dual purpose of the judicial branch: to interpret the laws of Georgia and administer justice in our legal system.
C. Explain the difference between criminal law and civil law.
D. Explain the steps in the adult criminal justice system beginning with arrest. 
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Trial and Appellate Courts

Georgia’s Courts fall in one of two categories — trial or appellate.

​Trial courts have original jurisdiction; they are the first court to hear a case. There are five types of trial courts: State, Juvenile, Probate, Magistrate courts and the most common trial court is the Superior Court.
Each county in Georgia is required to have a Superior Court and will hear any civil or criminal case.

Appellate courts review cases that have already been decided by a lower court. The Court of Appeals of Georgia and the Supreme Court of Georgia each have specific cases they will hear, reexamining past decisions. 
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Terms of Office

​Judges for all courts, except the juvenile courts, are elected in non-partisan elections. Judges in courts with original jurisdiction are elected for four year terms; appellate court judges are elected to six year terms. However, the Governor has the power to fill vacancies between elections.
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Criminal and Civil Cases

Steps in Adult Criminal Justice System

Joseph W. Wilson
8th grade Georgia History teacher
www.georgiahistoryteacher.org
#georgiateacher1
​jwilson54@forsyth.k12.ga.us

Liberty Middle School
7465 Wallace Tatum Road
Cumming, Georgia 30028
(770) 781-4889
website