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The Southern Judicial Circuit is comprised of five counties; Brooks, Colquitt, Echols, Lowndes and Thomas. Each Court is of general jurisdiction vested with authority from the Georgia Legislature, O.C.G.A. § 15-6-8.
O.C.G.A. § 15-6-8 Jurisdiction and powers of the Superior Court:
To exercise original, exclusive, or concurrent jurisdiction, as the case may be, of all causes, both civil and criminal, granted to them by the Constitution and laws;
To exercise the powers of a court of equity;
To exercise appellate jurisdiction from judgments of the probate or magistrate courts as provided by law;
To exercise a general supervision over all inferior tribunals and to review and correct, in the manner prescribed by law, the judgment of: (A) Magistrates; (B) Municipal court or councils; (C) Any inferior judicature; (D) Any person exercising judicial powers; and (E) Judges of probate courts, except in cases touching the probate of wills and the granting of letters of administration, in which a jury must be impaneled;
To punish contempt by fines not exceeding $500.00 and by imprisonment not exceeding 20 days; and
To exercise such powers not contrary to the
Constitution, as are may be given to such courts by law.
(Laws 1799, Cobb's 1851 Digest, p. 1135; Code 1863, § 242; Code 1868, § 236;
Code 1873, § 246; Code 1882, § 246; Civil Code 1895, § 4320; Penal Code 1895, §
791; Civil Code 1910, § 4849; Penal Code 1910, § 791; Code 1933, § 24-2615; Ga.
L. 1982, p. 974, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1983, p. 884, §§ 3-10; Ga. L. 1987, p. 3, §
15.)