Georgia Code
Article 2 - Magistrates
§ 15-10-20. Number; Selection; Term; Filling Vacancies; Chief Magistrate; Bonds

History. Code 1981, § 15-10-20 , enacted by Ga. L. 1983, p. 884, § 2-1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 15; Ga. L. 1984, p. 442, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 1096, § 2; Ga. L. 1985, p. 149, § 15; Ga. L. 1985, p. 636, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 607, § 2; Ga. L. 1996, p. 1231, § 3; Ga. L. 2019, p. 658, § 2/HB 257.
The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, inserted “or her” near the end of the last sentence of subsection (a); deleted the former first sentence of subsection (b), which read: “The term of office of any magistrate taking office prior to January 1, 1985, shall expire on December 31, 1984, except that this subsection shall not operate to shorten any term of office in violation of Article VI, Section X, Paragraph II of the Constitution.”; deleted former subsection (c); redesignated former subsections (d) through (h) as present subsections (c) through (g), respectively; inserted “or she” throughout present subsection (c); in present subsection (e), substituted “subsection (d)” for “subsections (c) and” in the middle and substituted “subsection (d)” for “subsection (e)” near the end; in present subsection (g), in the first sentence, twice inserted “or her” and substituted “$100,000.00” for “$25,000.00”; and deleted former subsection (i), relating to removal of judge of the superior courts of this state and powers and duties of special judge of the magistrate court.
Cross references.
Certain officials to become magistrates by operation of law, § 15-10-120 .
Disqualification of judge or chief magistrate, Uniform Rules for the Magistrate Courts, Rules 4.2 and 4.3.
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 1983, p. 884, § 7-4, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “With respect to each officer other than a probate judge who becomes a magistrate on July 1, 1983, pursuant to Article VI, Section X, Paragraph II of the Constitution, the position or office in which such officer was formerly serving shall be abolished for all purposes immediately upon the expiration of the term of the incumbent; and no person shall be selected to fill such office thereafter. This section shall not operate to shorten the term which any such officer will serve as magistrate pursuant to said paragraph of the Constitution and shall not operate to prevent any such officer from thereafter being selected as a magistrate.

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