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The Judicial Branch of state government consists of courts of limited, general and appellate jurisdiction.
Courts of limited jurisdiction generally hear less serious cases. In this category are: (1) magistrate courts, which issue search warrants, try violations of county ordinances and hear civil suits under $15,000; (2) probate courts, which probate wills, administer estates and in some counties handle traffic cases; (3) state courts of counties, which hear civil cases and misdemeanor criminal cases and (4) juvenile courts, which hear cases involving youths under seventeen.
The basic trial court with general jurisdiction for hearing cases involving state law is the superior court. Here, any civil or criminal case may be tried and all felonies must be tried. The legislature has divided Georgia into forty-eight superior court circuits, with each circuit containing from one to eight counties and served by one or more judges.
Georgia’s two major courts of appellate jurisdiction are the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. These courts do not try cases, but hear appeals from lower courts.
Council of Juvenile Court Judges
Judicial Branch of Georgia
An introduction to all levels of Georgia's court system: Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Superior Courts, State Courts, Juvenile Courts, Probate Courts, Magistrate Courts and Municipal Courts.