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Harold R. Banke Justice Center
9151 Tara Boulevard
Jonesboro, GA 30236
The Front Doors entering the Atrium at the Harold R. Banke Justice Center will only be open for entry to the public from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding County Holidays.
General Information
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Harold R. Banke Justice Center is conducting modified operations as indicated in the Clayton Judicial Circuit Comprehensive Court Operations – All Phases Guidelines. Please ensure compliance with the guidelines to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
Case information, court calendars, and relevant forms can be found throughout this website. Parties, or attorneys in any matter, are welcome to contact the chambers of the judge assigned to their case by phone or email if they have any questions or concerns related to compliance with these guidelines.
Assignment of Judges
Each case, civil or criminal, is assigned randomly by a computer program when the case is filed in the Clerk’s Office. However, if a case is a renewal of a previous case, the new case will be assigned to the same Judge as the original action. Also, two cases arising out of the same transaction or occurrence will be assigned to the same Judge. Please notify the Clerk if the case is a renewal of a previous action, or if you are filing two cases arising out of the same event. Criminal cases involving a defendant who has previously appeared before a Judge are assigned to be heard by the same Judge, as much as is practical (traffic citations are not considered in this rule, and there may be instances where other criminal matters go to a different Judge because of co-defendants).
Attorneys for Civil Matters
The Court cannot appoint attorneys to represent persons for civil matters. Atlanta Legal Aide, (404) 524-5811, may be able to help.
Court-Appointed Attorneys for Criminal Matters
Defendants may request a court-appointed attorney at their first court appearance, usually an Arraignment. The Court must interview the Defendant to determine if the person is qualified under the Georgia Indigent Defense Guidelines to receive a court-appointed attorney. Factors for the Court to consider include the employment of the person, any extraordinary expenses the person has, their assets, the likelihood that the person will receive a jail sentence, and other matters.
Scheduling of Civil Matters
Contact the Administrative Assistant for the Judge to whom the case is assigned.
Scheduling of Criminal Matters
Each Judge has authority over his or her own criminal calendars, however the Calendar Clerk in the State Court Clerk’s Office assigned to that Judge creates the criminal calendars. Motions in criminal cases will not be accepted by the Clerk for filing without a Rule Nisi attached. The Rule Nisi must be presented to the Calendar Clerk for a date and signature prior to the motion being filed. Probation revocation hearings are scheduled by the probation officer supervising that defendant’s case.
