Georgia-2011-SB351-Comm Sub

To amend Chapter 32 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to municipal courts, so as to require the same training for all judges of courts exercising municipal court jurisdiction; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

Chapter 32 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to municipal courts, is amended by revising Code Section 36-32-11, relating to required training for judges, as follows:

(a) All judges of the municipal courts, and all judges of courts exercising municipal court jurisdiction, shall periodically satisfactorily complete a training course as provided in Article 2 of this chapter.

(b) The Georgia Municipal Courts Training Council shall keep records of training completed by municipal judges and judges of courts exercising municipal court jurisdiction.

(c) If any municipal judge, or any judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction, does not satisfactorily complete the required training in any year, the Georgia Municipal Courts Training Council shall promptly notify the Judicial Qualifications Commission, which shall may remove the municipal judge from office unless the Judicial Qualifications Commission finds that the failure was caused by facts beyond the control of the municipal judge.

(d) The reasonable costs and expenses of such training shall be paid by the governing authority of the municipality from municipal where the judge presides using the governing authority's funds."

Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 36-32-27, relating to mandatory training of municipal court judges, as follows:

(a) Any person who becomes a municipal judge on or after January 1, 1991, shall satisfactorily complete 20 hours of training in the performance of his or her duties, prior to December 31, 1991, and shall attend the first scheduled training session held after the date of his or her election or appointment in order to become certified under this article. Any person serving as a municipal judge prior to January 1, 1991, shall be exempt from completing these 20 hours of training.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, any person who becomes a judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction on or after July 1, 2012, who is not subject to subsection (a) of this Code section, shall satisfactorily complete 20 hours of training in the performance of his or her duties, prior to December 31, 2012, and shall attend the first scheduled training session held after the date of his or her election or appointment in order to become certified under this article. Any person serving as a judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction prior to July 1, 2012, who is not subject to subsection (a) of this Code section, shall be exempt from completing these 20 hours of training.

(b)(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, in In order to maintain the status of a certified municipal judge or a certified judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction, each person certified as such he or she shall complete 12 hours of additional training per annum during each calendar year after the year of his or her initial certification in which he or she serves as municipal judge or as judge of a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction.

(d) This Code section shall not apply to any magistrate judge, probate judge, or any judge of a court of record who presides in a court exercising municipal court jurisdiction."