Henry County’s judicial circuit has gotten the early go-ahead to add a fourth Superior Court judge, and proponents of the move are hopeful the Georgia General Assembly will make it happen during the 2020 legislative session.

  “We have three Superior Court judges who have been doing the work of four for a very long time,” said Superior Court Judge Brian Amero, who gave an update to Henry County Board of Commissioners at its September 17 regular meeting after petitioning the board back in February for its support in seeking an additional judge. “Statistics coming out of the Judicial Workload Assessment Committee support that assessment.”

  In the past six months Amero received written support from all six commissioners, as well as all ten members of the county’s legislative delegation, and he was able to present those documents to the committee as well as the Judicial Council, which voted unanimously to support the Henry County circuit’s quest to add a judge.

  “I wanted to thank you personally for your willingness to listen to our need,” said Amero to the commissioners. “All of us in that judicial building are thankful for your continued support and encouragement.”

  The next step in the process is to have a bill dropped during the 2020 session of the Georgia General Assembly, possibly by all members of the county delegation. Amero said that, hopefully, everyone will know by next February or March whether the legislature will approve the funding for the the judgeship.

  One positive aspect of the process so far is that the Judicial Council ranked the Henry County circuit second in priority among nine circuits that were approved, having qualified numerically from a workload standpoint.

  “Because of this, we have a good chance of getting a bill passed and being funded,,” said Amero, “because, routinely, 2-3 judgeships per session get funded.”

  Amero said he is “cautiously optimistic” about everything getting approved and he has already reached out to county manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews and county budget director Angie Sorrow in preparation for what will have to happen regarding the initial setup. His staff has looked at what would be needed as far as ancillary staff  – prosecutors, defense attorneys, investigators, clerks, and “all who would be needed to do the work connected with the judgeship,” he said.