About Juvenile Court

Notice concerning In-person Court Hearings

Juvenile Court conducts hearings with participants being required to attend in-person at the courhouse, except as may be otherwise specifically ordered by the assigned judge on a case-by-case basis. Should any attorney or party have special circumstances necessitating a request for exception to the in-person requirement, the request may be directed to the chambers of the assigned judge for consideration. All parties continue to have the ability to request telephone or video conferencing pursuant to Rule 12 as may be appropriate.


Contact the Chatham County Juvenile Court at 912-652-6700 or send an email to JuvClerk@chathamcounty.org if you have any questions or need additional information.

About The Court

The Juvenile Court is responsible for handling all delinquent complaints concerning children who are under the age of 17 years. However, in cases involving a Child in Need of Services (CHINS) or dependent children the age limit is extended to those under the age of 18 years. Complaints may be initiated by a parent, victim, law enforcement, social service agencies, or other interested parties having knowledge.

Court Administration

The Court Administrator plans, coordinates, and directs all of the administrative operations of the Juvenile Court. The administrator oversees the personnel and financial management functions of the court.

The court is organized into four sections: Probation Staff, Clerk’s Office, Panel Coordination, and Support Staff. A supervisor is assigned to oversee each division. Probation staff screens the complaints and determines the appropriate course of action. The probation staff also provides supervision to those youth placed under supervision of the court. The Clerk of Court provides assistance to all officers of the court and the public in filing of all traffic, delinquent, and dependency matters concerning juveniles, records all juvenile hearings and maintains all juvenile court records. The Panel Coordinator handles authorizations for shelter cares, as well as, coordinates and organizes panel reviews for children in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.

Juvenile Court Administrator: (912) 652-6721