Court Administrator

The Office of the Superior Court Administrator of Chatham County oversees the operational matters of Superior Court in conjunction with the leadership of the Judges in the Eastern Judicial Circuit of the State of Georgia. The Court Administrator functions as the administrative arm of the court which manages programs, special projects, budget and fiscal matters, personnel services, and purchasing and contracting. Additionally, the Court Administrator serves as liaison with other branches and agencies of government and the public.

Divisions within the Court Administrator’s office manage and coordinate Jury Services, Court Reporting Services, Interpreter Services, Criminal Case scheduling, the Alternatives Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program, a Drug Court Program, a Mental Health Court Program and a Veterans Treatment Court Program.

The Court Administrator and staff function within general management areas rather than specific legal areas.

Court Administrator
Crystal Taylor Cooper
(912) 652-7127

Deputy Court Administrator / ADR Director
Casey Martinez
Phone: (912) 652-7128
Fax: (912) 652-7130

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Case Management Division

An essential element of the Court’s mission is the timely and effective management of cases. Case flow management is the process by which courts carry out their primary function of moving cases from filing to disposition. This is critical as it helps ensure every litigant receives procedural due process and equal protection. This division provides the court with the necessary tools to facilitate the movement of criminal cases through the system. Additionally, it provides the Court Administrator with workload information so that sound management decisions can be made.

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Jury Management Division

Yearly a Master List containing all citizens of Chatham County, Georgia is provided to the Jury Service Division of the Superior Court Administrator’s Office by the Georgia Superior Court Council of Clerks. This Master List contains all citizens in Chatham County who are registered to vote or who are in the Department of Drivers’ Services’ records as having a driver’s license or ID card in Chatham County. Each week of the year approximately 300 to 800 people are selected at random by the computer from this Master List of potential jurors. The summonses for those selected are mailed approximately a month prior to their term of service. Through the use of the automated Juror Information Line (652-7169) and the Chatham County website (Jury Services), jurors are able to access their reporting instructions during their term of jury service. A citizen in Chatham County will usually be on call for service for one week. During most weeks, summoned citizens will only need to report one day for the selection process and, if chosen, serve on one trial until it is completed. Most trials in Chatham County last one to three days, and even if there is an exception and a trial lasts longer, all trials started during a week will usually end by the end of a juror’s on-call week. It is very rare that a juror will have to serve past their summons week, though it is possible.

The Jury Service Division is staffed by three full-time employees. The Jury Service Division staff administers the program for the entire Eastern Judicial Circuit and provides jurors for the Superior, State and Probate Courts in the circuit. It is the responsibility of the division to develop and coordinate with the aid of the Information and Communications Services Department (ICS) the weekly juror pools; to conduct the daily juror orientation; to summons approximately 34,000 people per year; to facilitate the processing of approximately 6,000 jurors reporting for service each year; to rule on requests for excusal, deferral, or exemption; to interact on a daily basis with citizens of Chatham County regarding all aspects of jury service; and all other duties involved in ensuring that Chatham County’s jury System functions well.

Visit the Jury Services page

Deputy Court Administrator/Jury Manager
Patty Armour
(912) 652-7140

Jury Coordinator
(912) 652-7143