IMPORTANT NEWS
The Appalachian Judicial Circuit is comprised of Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens counties in the State of Georgia.
Each county of the Appalachian Circuit has its own Superior Court with each of the three judges serving all three counties.
Each county of the Appalachian Circuit has its own Juvenile Court with two full-time Juvenile Court Judges who serve all three counties.
The Appalachian Circuit is part of the 9th Judicial District.
News Alerts from Appalachian Circuit are found on Twitter/X
Appalachian Circuit
Superior Court
The Superior Court is Georgia’s general jurisdiction trial court. It has exclusive, constitutional authority over felony cases, divorce, equity, and cases regarding title to land. Superior Court also handles appeals from Probate Court and Magistrate Court.
Each of the three counties – Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens – of the Appalachian Circuit has its own Superior Court, with each judge serving all three counties.
Click here for an overview of all Superior Courts in Georgia.
Fannin Clerk of Superior Court
Clerk of Superior Court Dana Chastain
P.O. Box 1300
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
706-632-2039 phone
706-258-5200 jury phone line
706-632-2039 open records request
Gilmer Clerk of Superior Court
Clerk of Superior Court Amy Johnson
1 Broad Street #102
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-635-4462 phone
706-635-4468 jury phone line
Pickens Clerk of Superior Court
Clerk of Superior Court Jennifer Jordan
52 North Main Street
P.O. Box 130
Jasper, GA 30143
706-253-8763 phone
706-253-8763 jury phone line
Accountability Courts
Adult Drug Court
Superior Court Chief Judge Brenda S. Weaver
P.O. Box 545
Jasper, GA 30143
Contact: Nicole Panter 706-889-3314
The Adult Drug Court is a specialized court operating as a division of the Superior Court.
The mission of the Adult Drug Court is to stop the abuse of drugs and alcohol and related criminal activity.
Every county in the circuit operates an Accountability Court.
Veterans Treatment Court
Superior Court Chief Judge Brenda S. Weaver
P.O. Box 545
Jasper, Georgia, 30143
Contact: Chris Holt, Coordinator 706-301-8483
Veterans Treatment Court seeks to divert eligible veterans with substance abuse, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or mental illness, who have been charged with a criminal offense, to a specialized criminal docket. The Court substitutes a treatment and problem-solving model, along with accountability, including drug testing and curfews, for the traditional court processing.
Parental Accountability Court
Superior Court Judge B. Alison Sosebee
400 West Main Street, Suite 300
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Contact: 404-971-2205
The Parental Accountability Court Program (PAC), formerly known as Child Support Court or Problem Solving Court, began in 2009. The program is the result of cooperative partnerships between multiple judicial circuits, the Administrative Office of the Courts, and the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Services.
PAC seeks to address underlying issues that make it difficult for non-custodial parents to pay child support while providing judges with an alternative to incarceration in civil contempt cases.
The program uses a team approach to meet participants’ needs as they become more accountable for supporting their children Members of the Parental Accountability Court Team include the Judge, Special Assistant Attorney General (SAAG), or Assistant District Attorney (ADA), Parental Accountability Court Coordinator (PAC-C), from the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Child Support Services (DCSS), DCSS local Office Manager, and representative(s) from the Community Service Board (CSB).
PAC utilizes resources within the community that helps address the root causes of chronic nonpayment. These resources may include referrals to employment programs, General Education Development (GED) classes, short-term training, and referrals to counseling and access and visitation mediators. PAC also reduces incarceration costs for county governments while helping parents become accountable for supporting their children.
The program encompasses vocational, educational, and mentoring concepts. When necessary, the program may also address behavioral health and developmental disability issues by providing referrals to appropriate resource providers.
HELP Court
Superior Court Judge B. Alison Sosebee
400 West Main Street, Suite 300
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Contact: Lindsey Ramirez 706-299-4155
Judicial Circuit Help Court Facebook Page
HELP Court is a court-supervised program coupled with intensive treatment and supervision. The Court is designed to address an increasing number of defendants who were involved with Criminal Courts based, in large part, on actions that were related to undiagnosed and/or untreated mental disorders. You also may be co-occurring with a substance abuse history.
HELP stands for the four focuses of the program: Health, Empowerment, Life, and Productivity
This is a voluntary program that includes regular Court appearances before the designated judge. This program puts a priority on community support groups, attending substance abuse treatment, participating in mental health treatment and medication compliance, and being subject to sanctioned community supervision as well as a specific number of hours towards giving back to the community, submitting to random drug testing and making regular appearances in court. HELP Court will hold participants accountable and assist in achieving long-term stability to become productive citizens and successful members of the community.
Appalachian Circuit
Juvenile Court
The Juvenile Court’s mission is to protect children from abuse and neglect, to strengthen families, to provide treatment and supervision to juveniles who need rehabilitation or services, and to protect the community from delinquent behavior. The exclusive original jurisdiction of Juvenile Courts for delinquency cases covers any delinquent act alleged to have been committed before the child’s seventeenth birthday. For dependency actions and those involving children in need of services (CHINS), the jurisdiction of the Court extends to age 18.
The Juvenile Court serves Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens Counties. Its main office is located on the third floor of the Fannin County Courthouse. The Juvenile Court is a court of record and, with several exceptions, has exclusive jurisdiction over juvenile matters.
Generally speaking, it is the sole Court for initiating actions concerning children under 17 who are charged with delinquent or unruly acts. The Juvenile Court has jurisdiction over matters concerning children alleged to need treatment or commitment as children with intellectual disabilities, children alleged to have committed a traffic offense, or children who have been placed under supervision or probation with the Court. Matters concerning the deprivation of children under 18 are also heard in the Juvenile Court.
Fannin Clerk of Juvenile Court
Clerk of Juvenile Court Dana Chastain
P.O. Box 1300
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
706-632-2039 phone
706-258-5200 jury phone line
Gilmer Clerk of Juvenile Court
Clerk of Juvenile Court Amy Johnson
1 Broad Street #102
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-635-4462 phone
706-635-4468 jury phone line
Pickens Clerk of Juvenile Court
Clerk of Juvenile Court Jennifer Jordan
52 North Main Street
P.O. Box 130
Jasper, GA 30143
706-253-8763 phone
706-253-8763 jury phone line
Juvenile Drug Court
Chief Judge Keith Galligan
P.O. Box 2043
400 West Main Street, Suite 302
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Kristie Finney, Administrator
706-632-2225
The Appalachian Juvenile Drug Court is a program designed to assist youths under the age of seventeen to make successful choices free of the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Juvenile Drug Court serves Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens counties and is an intensive, 18 to 24 months program aimed at treatment and rehabilitation of youth charged with delinquent acts involving drugs and/or alcohol. The Juvenile Drug Court utilizes bi-monthly judicial reviews, weekly counseling, random drug screening and compliance officers in the detection and prevention of illegal drug use by the youth enrolled in the program. The court awards incentives for compliant behavior and imposes sanctions for negative behavior. The Drug Court Team consists of the Juvenile Court Judge, Drug Court Coordinator, District Attorney, Public Defender, Probation Department, and Treatment Providers.
Truancy Court
Kristie Finney, Administrator
706-632-2225
The Juvenile Court, in conjunction with local school officials or representatives, also operates a specialized “Truancy” Court in every county of the Circuit.
The mission of the Truancy Court is to:
- Improve student attendance
- Decrease student tardiness
- Decrease student early dismissals
- Raise student achievement
- Improve graduation rates
- Foster parent & student responsibility
- Provide home support for families
Family Treatment Court
Judge Patricia A. King
P.O. Box 2043
400 West Main Street, Suite 302
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Contact: Christina Mosley, 706-299-3036
The Appalachian Family Treatment Court is a program designed to facilitate the treatment and rehabilitation of parents whose children have been or are in danger of being removed from their custody due to unresolved substance abuse issues. The Family Treatment Court serves Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens counties and is a voluntary, intensive two-year program.
The Family Treatment Court utilizes bi-monthly judicial reviews, weekly counseling and random drug screening in the detection and prevention of illegal drug use by the parents enrolled in the program. The Family Treatment Court Team consists of the Juvenile Court Judge, Family Treatment Court Coordinator, Special Appointed Attorney General, Attorney for the Parents and Children, Case Manager for the Department of Family and Children Services, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and Treatment Providers. The mission of the Family Treatment Court is to stop the abuse of drugs and alcohol, while at the same time, preserving and reuniting families.