HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Houston County's overburdened court system is about to receive significant relief with the appointment of a new Superior Court judge, marking the first addition to the bench since 2007.
Governor Brian Kemp appointed Amy Smith to serve as the fourth Superior Court judge in the Houston Judicial Circuit, a move expected to add between 8 to 12 weeks of jury trial time annually to a system currently wrestling with thousands of pending cases.
The appointment comes as the District Attorney's office manages 2,219 active cases - all formally charged and awaiting their turn before a judge. Each month, the judicial calendar schedules between 100 to 150 criminal trials, far exceeding the system's current capacity.
"It gets whittled down a little bit, but obviously we can't try 150 cases every month. We just don't have the time or the amount of people in the county to answer juror summons," said District Attorney-elect Eric Edwards.
Under the current system, three judges rotate monthly criminal trial duties. Since the last judicial appointment in 2007, Houston County's population and case volume have grown significantly, while the number of judges remained static until Smith's appointment.
Superior Court Judge Katherine Lumsden said the impact of adding another judge would bring much-needed closure to many Houston County families.
"Adding another judge really gives us the opportunity to move things more quickly," she said. "For families that are waiting. For crimes that are waiting to be decided or heard."
While the DA's office has opened more than 3,000 cases this year, they've managed to close 3,340 - mostly through plea deals or dismissals before indictment. However, cases requiring trials often face substantial delays due to the court's limited capacity.
"The way things are currently set up with the three judges, they are on a rotation where one of our three is in criminal trial court every month with criminal trial weeks," Lumsden explained. "We think this will add between 8 to 12 weeks of jury trial time."
Smith brings extensive experience to the bench, having served as Houston County's Solicitor General since 2011. Before that, she worked as Chief Assistant District Attorney at the Houston County District Attorney's Office, handling felonies, appeals, and child support enforcement cases during her 14-year tenure.
The impact of this appointment on the judicial backlog remains to be seen, but officials are optimistic about the additional capacity it brings to the Houston County court system. Smith is set to assume her position on January 1st.