Chatham County Superior Court, Georgia Chambers Communication Rules

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

The attorney or party must email the assigned Judge, including staff, about a motion or response no later than 24 hours after e-filing.

Pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 6.1 when utilizing the e-filing system, the attorney or party shall notify the opposing parties and the assigned Judge, including their staff, by e-mail of the motion or response no later than 24-hours after e-filing.

CRITICAL

Except in rare circumstances, all parties must be present when addressing the judge.

In all other instances, all parties must be present to address the judge.

CRITICAL

A jury trial must be requested by letter to the judge, and the party must complete and consolidate the required pretrial order.

Request by letter to the judge. You will receive (letter indicating a request was made for a trial) notice of a pretrial hearing and will be expected to complete and consolidate the Pretrial Order required by the Uniform Superior Court Rules

CRITICAL

Attorneys must immediately notify the judge and staff when a civil action settles or is dismissed.

Additionally, pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 4.10, all attorneys practicing in the Eastern Judicial Circuit shall notify the Judge and their staff immediately upon the settlement or dismissal of any civil actions.

CRITICALCriminal cases

Contact

Email

When a hearing is requested, the criminal case manager must be notified by email at LaFarrington@chathamcounty.org.

WHEN A HEARING IS REQUESTED, NOTIFY THE CRIMINAL CASE MANAGER VIA EMAIL (LaFarrington@chathamcounty.org).

CRITICAL

A bond assignment must first be obtained from the Clerk's Office before proceeding with a bond hearing.

You must first obtain a bond assignment from the Clerk's Office which is located on the 1st floor of the Eugene H. Gadsden Courthouse.

CRITICAL

Bench or jury trials must be requested in writing to the judge, and a letter is sufficient; a jury trial request requires a pretrial order and hearing.

These proceedings must be requested in writing to the Judge. A letter will be sufficient. You will receive a bench trial docket containing all the cases to be heard on a date certain. If a jury trial is requested, a pretrial order and hearing will be necessary.

CRITICAL

A defendant must notify the Clerk of Court in writing through counsel and notify the bonding company of any address change.

It is the Defendant's obligation and responsibility to notify the Clerk of Court's office in writing, through his or her attorney, of any change of address and to notify his or her bonding company.

CRITICAL

Do not contact Judge Morse by telephone for legal advice or discussion of the merits, and do not ask staff to relay messages about the merits.

Please do not expect to be able to speak with Judge Morse on the telephone for legal advice or on the merits of your case as that would be considered an ex parte communication. Judge Morse's staff will not relay messages to him about the merits of a case as that also would be considered improper under the rules of ethics.

CRITICAL

Any appearance method other than appearing in court must be arranged and approved by the court before the hearing.

Arrangements for appearance by any other method other than in-court appearance must be arranged and approved by the Court prior to the hearing.

CRITICAL

Attorneys in the Eastern Judicial Circuit must notify the judge and staff immediately when a civil action settles or is dismissed.

Additionally, pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 4.10, all attorneys practicing in the Eastern Judicial Circuit shall notify the Judge and their staff immediately upon the settlement or dismissal of any civil actions.

CRITICAL

Ex parte communication is limited to rare circumstances such as family violence or emergency child-custody matters; otherwise, all parties must be present when addressing the judge.

Under very rare circumstances, a judge may speak with a party on one side of a case without the other present; for instance in family violence matters and in emergency situations involving child custody.  In all other instances, all parties must be present to address the judge.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

When e-filing a motion or response, the filer must email the assigned Judge and staff no later than 24 hours after filing.

Pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 6.1 when utilizing the e-filing system, the attorney or party shall notify the opposing parties and the assigned Judge, including their staff, by e-mail of the motion or response no later than 24-hours after e-filing.

CRITICAL

Attorneys must notify the Judge and staff immediately when a civil action settles or is dismissed.

Additionally, pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 4.10, all attorneys practicing in the Eastern Judicial Circuit shall notify the Judge and their staff immediately upon the settlement or dismissal of any civil actions.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

Pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 6.1 when utilizing the e-filing system, the attorney or party shall notify the opposing parties and the assigned Judge, including their staff, by e-mail of the motion or response no later than 24-hours after e-filing.

Pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 6.1 when utilizing the e-filing system, the attorney or party shall notify the opposing parties and the assigned Judge, including their staff, by e-mail of the motion or response no later than 24-hours after e-filing.

CRITICAL

Attorneys must immediately notify the Judge and the Judge's staff when a civil action settles or is dismissed.

Additionally, pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 4.10, all attorneys practicing in the Eastern Judicial Circuit shall notify the Judge and their staff immediately upon the settlement or dismissal of any civil actions.

CRITICAL

Attorneys must immediately notify the Judge and staff when a civil action settles or is dismissed.

Additionally, pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 4.10, all attorneys practicing in the Eastern Judicial Circuit shall notify the Judge and their staff immediately upon the settlement or dismissal of any civil actions.

CRITICAL

Contact

Email to chambers

When e-filing a motion or response, the attorney or party must email the assigned Judge and staff notice within 24 hours after filing.

Pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 6.1 when utilizing the e-filing system, the attorney or party shall notify the opposing parties and the assigned Judge, including their staff, by e-mail of the motion or response no later than 24-hours after e-filing.

WARNING

Attorneys must immediately notify the Judge and staff when any civil action is settled or dismissed.

Additionally, pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 4.10, all attorneys practicing in the Eastern Judicial Circuit shall notify the Judge and their staff immediately upon the settlement or dismissal of any civil actions.

WARNING

For questions about criminal case scheduling, contact the Judge's Criminal Case Manager.

DOCKETS ARE NOT NOTICE. APPEAR AS DIRECTED IN ALL NOTICE CARDS. If you have a question about criminal case scheduling, please contact the Criminal Case Manager for the Judge.

WARNING

Attorneys should check their notice cards carefully and contact the assigned Judge's staff if anything is unclear.

Starting April 4th, the majority of Court dockets went back to being held in person. All attorneys should check their notice cards carefully, and if there is any confusion please contact the assigned Judge's staff.

WARNING

Phone

912-652-7168

For a civil or family law hearing, a party must request a court reporter from the Office of the Court Reporter before the day of the hearing.

A Court Reporter will appear for Civil and Family Law Cases only if a party requests a court reporter to be present to record the proceedings. The request must be made to the Office of the Court Reporter, 912-652-7168, prior to the day of the hearing.

WARNING

Notify the judge's secretary of special requests, and arrange and obtain court approval for any appearance method other than appearing in court before the hearing.

Please notify the judge's secretary if you have any special requests such as a request that parties be present or if you anticipate a large number of attorneys to be involved. Arrangements for appearance by any other method other than in-court appearance must be arranged and approved by the Court prior to the hearing.

WARNING

Hearing dates are not provided by telephone.

Please note that Judge Middleton does not give out hearing dates by telephone.

WARNING

Phone

(912) 652-7252

For a pending civil case inquiry, contact the Administrative Assistant at (912) 652-7252 and have the Civil Action Number available.

If you require assistance or information regarding a pending civil case assigned to Judge Middleton, please contact his Administrative Assistant, Debbie Carney at (912) 652-7252. Please have your Civil Action Number available when making any inquiry to the Court.

WARNING

Do not ask the judge's staff to relay messages to the judge about the merits of a case.

Judge Middleton's staff will not relay messages to him about the merits of a case as that also would be considered improper under the rules of ethics.

WARNING

A motion hearing may be requested by letter or by pleading in the form of a request for oral argument.

Request by letter or by pleading in the form of a request for oral argument.

WARNING

Do not speak with the judge by telephone for legal advice or about the merits of a case.

Please do not expect to be able to speak with Judge Middleton on the telephone for legal advice or on the merits of your case as that would be considered an ex parte communication.

WARNING

Only lawyers and people with appointments may enter the judge's office.

Due to security procedures, only lawyers or those who have been given an appointment are permitted into a judge's office.

WARNING

Attorneys must notify the judge when a case is dismissed.

Furthermore, USCR 4.10 requires the attorney to notify the judge of dismissals.

WARNING

To request a jury trial, send a letter to the judge and complete and consolidate the required Pretrial Order after receiving notice of a pretrial hearing.

Jury Trials Request by letter to the judge. You will receive (letter indicating a request was made for a trial) notice of a pretrial hearing and will be expected to complete and consolidate the Pretrial Order required by the Uniform Superior Court Rules

WARNING

For motions without a hearing required by law or court rule, request an oral hearing by letter explaining why one should be held; such hearings are not routinely granted.

Please note that Judge Morse does not routinely grant hearings on motions other than where a hearing must be granted by law or court rule , e.g., motions for summary judgment. With respect to any other motions, write a letter to the judge explaining why you believe an oral hearing should be held.

WARNING

Notify the judge’s secretary about special requests, including requests for parties to attend or anticipated large attorney participation.

Please notify the judge's secretary if you have any special requests such as a request that parties be present or if you anticipate a large number of attorneys to be involved.

WARNING

A bench trial must be requested by letter to the judge, stating the expected total duration.

Request by letter to the judge indicating how long the entire expected bench trial will take ie: ½ day, day, hours.

WARNING

Contact

Phone

Phone

912-652-7168

A request for a court reporter in a civil or family law case must be made to the Office of the Court Reporter before the day of the hearing.

The request must be made to the Office of the Court Reporter, 912-652-7168, prior to the day of the hearing.

WARNING

Bench or jury trials in family law cases must be requested in writing to the judge; a letter is sufficient.

These proceedings must be requested in writing to the Judge.  A letter will be sufficient.

WARNING

Only counsel should attend status conferences unless counsel wants the defendant present; counsel must notify the Case Manager or Primary Deputy if the defendant is incarcerated and will attend.

Only counsel shall attend Status Conferences, unless counsel desires to have the Defendant present. If so, and the Defendant is incarcerated, then counsel must notify the Case Manager or the Court's Primary Deputy

WARNING

The defendant must notify Case Management in writing through counsel of any address change and also notify the bonding company.

It is the Defendant's obligation and responsibility to notify Case Management in writing, through his or her attorney, of any change of address and to notify his or her bonding company.

WARNING

A motion hearing may be requested by letter or by a pleading requesting oral argument.

Request by letter or by pleading in the form of a request for oral argument.

WARNING

Questions about criminal case scheduling should be directed to the Judge's Criminal Case Manager.

If you have a question about criminal case scheduling, please contact the Criminal Case Manager for the Judge.

WARNING

Attorneys should check their notice cards carefully and contact the assigned Judge's staff if anything is unclear.

All attorneys should check their notice cards carefully, and if there is any confusion please contact the assigned Judge's staff.

WARNING

Counsel requesting the presence of a detained Defendant at the Trial Docket Call must make the request to the Court's Criminal Case Manager by 12:00 P.M. EST on the preceding business day.

Defendants in pretrial detention will not be transported for the Trial Docket Call unless counsel requests their presence, with requests being made to the Court's Criminal Case manager by 12:00 P.M. EST the preceding business day.

WARNING

Questions about criminal case scheduling should be directed to the Judge's Criminal Case Manager.

If you have a question about criminal case scheduling, please contact the Criminal Case Manager for the Judge.

WARNING

Attorneys should check their notice cards carefully and contact the assigned Judge's staff if they are confused.

All attorneys should check their notice cards carefully, and if there is any confusion please contact the assigned Judge's staff.