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Lowndes County State Court
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Overview of the Court
Judges
Clerk of Court
Probation Services
Court
Location and Hours of Operation
In 1970 the Georgia General Assembly established the State Court of Lowndes County by designating the Lowndes County Civil and Criminal Courts as a State Court pursuant to O.C.G.A. §15-7-2. State courts have limited jurisdiction and were created to relieve the Superior courts of Georgia of certain cases. Lowndes County State Court has both a civil and criminal division, exercising jurisdiction over all misdemeanor violations of State law, including traffic offenses, and all civil actions, regardless of the amount claimed, unless the Superior court has exclusive jurisdiction. In the calendar year 2005, the State Court of Lowndes County had 24,226 case filings and 21,198 case dispositions. The Judge of the State Court of Lowndes County is John K. Edwards, Jr., and his office is located on the first floor of the Lowndes County Courthouse, located at 108 East Central Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia. The Administrative Office of the Courts has produced a brochure outlining the Basic Rules of Court Conduct for Georgia courts. This brochure, in PDF format, is provided for your general information. Specific questions should be addressed to the court at the address or telephone numbers listed below. Basic Rules of Court Conduct Brochure Biography of the State Court Judge John K. Edwards, Jr., was appointed Judge of the State Court of Lowndes County in 2006 by Governor Sonny Perdue. Judge Edwards previously served as Municipal Court Judge for the City of Valdosta from 1996 to 2006. Prior to 1996, Judge Edwards served as Solicitor for the Municipal Court of Valdosta, taught as an adjunct professor of political science at Valdosta State University and maintained a private law practice. Judge Edwards has served as past-president of the Georgia Council of Municipal Court Judges, Municipal Courts Training Council and is currently active in the Georgia Council of State Court Judges. Judge Edwards graduated from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University after receiving his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University. He is a graduate of Valwood School in Valdosta, a member of Crossroads Baptist Church, and a lifelong resident of Lowndes County. Biography of the State Court Judge (Senior Status) Kelly D. Turner was appointed in 1995 by Governor Zell Miller to the State Court of Lowndes. Judge Turner served as State Court Judge until her retirement in 2006 and was then appointed a Senior Judge of the State Court by Governor Sonny Perdue. Prior to her appointment to the State Court bench, Judge Turner served as the Associate Magistrate Court Judge of Lowndes County. Additionally, she served as an adjunct professor at Valdosta State University for five years teaching courses in the Departments of Criminal Justice, Sociology and Psychology. Sara Crow is the Clerk of the Superior and State Courts of Lowndes County, and has served since 1983. Mrs. Crow’s office is located on the first floor of the Lowndes County Courthouse and she may be reached at (229) 333-5127. Probation services are provided by Georgia Probation Management, Inc., 507 N. Patterson Street, Valdosta, Georgia, (229) 253-1770. Court Location and Hours of Operation
State Court of
Lowndes County Mailing Addresses, Telephone and Fax Numbers
Sara Crow
Clerk of the Courts
State Court of
Lowndes County Civil Matters: Non-jury civil trials and civil motion hearings are scheduled by the Judicial Secretary, Ms. Kathleen Moore, (229) 671-2600. Civil jury trials are held during the third week of January, April, July and October. Special terms may be set by the Court as needed. Criminal Matters: Criminal Arraignments are held at the Lowndes County Jail Complex (located off Madison Highway) the first Monday and Tuesday of each month. All criminal matters are scheduled by the Solicitor-General’s Office, (229) 671-2510. Criminal jury trials are held during the third week of the month, except during the months in which civil jury cases are tried. Special terms may be set by the Court as needed. The State Court of Lowndes County conducts jury trials on misdemeanor and civil cases that request a trial by jury. All criminal jury trials in this court are tried before a six-person jury. Civil cases, wherein the amount of the claim exceeds $10,000.00 can request a twelve-person jury. All other civil cases are tried by a six-person jury. |
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