Council of Juvenile Court Judges of Georgia

Welcome from the Council President

On behalf of the Council of Juvenile Court Judges, I would like to welcome you to the Council’s internet website. The Council’s membership has grown exponentially in the last several years by increasing the number of full time judgeships and transferring juvenile jurisdiction to judgeships dedicated solely to juvenile jurisdiction. Consequently, the knowledge and skills of our members have also grown in a like manner producing more effective practices and efficient systems.

I am excited about the direction of the Council and the dedication of its members. The bulk of the Council work is conducted in committee. I encourage you to visit our committee page and observe the division of work conducted by the judges in an effort to improve our juvenile and child welfare systems. What are not noticeable are the sub-committee and special initiatives overseen by these standing committees. For example, the Council spearheads a Court Improvement Initiative for both deprivation and delinquency courts. The Council has adopted aspirational guidelines that improve the practices of juvenile courts in both these areas

Some of these guidelines are included in the proposed model juvenile code re-write that may be viewed at www.justga.org. You may visit this site and offer comment about the proposed code. The proposed code, or some variation, may be introduced as soon as this next legislative session for consideration. Therefore, as president of the Council, I have commissioned an ad hoc committee to review and consider the proposed code and provide a Council position. That work has already begun by the able leadership of President-Elect Judge Robert Rodatus of Gwinnett County.

I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the individual efforts of our members in their respective counties and the great work that is done for the children, youth, and families. There are too many examples of good programs and practices that to mention one is to slight the others; not to mention I do not have the space to list so many good programs.

The Council and its staff are working hard to meet the needs of the children, youth, and families of Georgia by providing support to its member judges. Our staff, under the leadership of our Executive Director, Eric John, is responsive to the needs of the members and the citizens of Georgia. Council staff works diligently with judges to develop citizen review panels that are an invaluable tool for judges in deprivation proceedings. The staff provides on-going support and training throughout the year to help sustain these panels.

The staff also provides information systems technology support that improves the collection of data for systems analysis and to measure programmatic outcomes. I encourage you to contact Mr. John should you have any questions about the Council or the juvenile justice and child welfare system. Click on “Council Location” for contact information. I am also accessible and can be reached at my office in Clayton County at 770-477-3260.

Thank you for visiting the website of the Council of Juvenile Court Judges.

Send mail to CJCJ with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: June 03, 2008