County officials outline strategies for overpass repair Fe b r u a r y 6 , 2 0 2 5 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 9 , N o . 6
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Judges seek more help handling state court cases By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Increased caseloads from Forsyth County’s growing population are pushing officials to consider a third State Court judge. Appearing at a Jan. 28 County Commission work session, Chief Judge T. Russell McClelland and Judge James A. Dunn asked officials to endorse the request to the local legislative delegation during the 2025 General Assembly session. A study of Forsyth County’s caseload over the past two years showed Dunn and McClelland already are doing the work of three judges, said Robert Bray, executive director of the Council of State Court Judges. MCCLELLAND “Your population growth continues to climb at a pretty good clip,” Bray said. “And I see it’s projected for some pretty significant numbers, by at least another 30,000 people in five more years.” Forsyth County’s population is expected to swell to more than DUNN 300,000 by 2029. From 2010 to 2022, the population grew a whopping 51.2 percent, compared to a national average of 7.7 percent and state average of 12.4 percent, according to USA Facts.
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Chief Judge T. Russell McClelland, center right, asks the Forsyth County Commission to support the addition of a third judge to the county’s state court at a Jan. 28 work session. Other factors, like the county’s considerable business portfolio and numerous highways, also are driving the increase in cases. Forsyth County’s economic growth has brought in a wealth of new businesses. When employers are sued, the cases are heard in Forsyth County courts because many companies’ registered agents are located in the county.
Companies with registered agents, or the person or company designated to receive legal documents, include John Deere, Walmart, Kia, Nissan and others. Business lawsuits can include wage garnishments, injury claims and liability cases. “We’re seeing the result of that,” McClelland said. “In the last year, we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of garnishments.”
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With at least six state highways, including almost 20 miles of Ga. 400, running through the county, the number of Super Speeder cases before the State Court are considerable, Bray said. Georgia’s Super Speeder law requires drivers caught exceeding 75 mph on a two-lane road or over 85 mph on any roadway to be heard in a state court.
See JUDGES, Page 15
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