Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney

Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit

Sherry Boston, District Attorney

Judicial Operations Update

Judicial Order In Effect Through April 3, 2023:

Per Updated Judicial Order on 3.10.23:

"Starting Monday, March 13, 2023, all Judicial Chambers in the Judicial Tower will reopen, and personnel may retun to their offices.

In person court proceedings, including jury trials, will resume on April 3, 2023. Criminal cases with demands for speedy trial will be prioritized.

For planning purposes, especially for those arriving during peak morning hours, Elevator A is designated as the freight elevator and is for the sole use of the construction crews. Elevator A shall not be accessible to anyone not on a construction crew."

Read the full Judicial Order- 3.10.23.

Per Updated Judicial Order on 2.10.2023:

"As an update to the Administrative Order entered on January 12, 2023, the extensive and thorough repairs to the Judicial Tower have reached a stage that allows certain areas to be safely re-opened ahead of schedule. The initial re-opening will start with Phase 1 with successive phases added as repairs and inspections progress.

For Phase 1, three areas will reopen: (1) the entire 1st Floor, including the Magistrate Court; (2) the Superior Court Clerk of Court Deed Room located on the Ground Floor; and (3) the Probate Court’s Department for Weapons Carry Licenses and Marriage Licenses located on the Basement Floor. These three areas will re-open to the public effective Monday, February 12, 2023."

Read the full Judicial Order- 2.10.2023.

Per 1.12.2023 Judicial Order:
"Due to a ruptured pipe that resulted in extensive water intrusion and damage to the Judicial Tower of the DeKalb County Courthouse located at 556 North McDonough Street, Decatur, Georgia 30030, in-person access to the entirety of the Judicial Tower is prohibited until further order of the Chief Judge of the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit.

Due to health and safety concerns, and to allow repairs to proceed as expeditiously as possible, authorization to enter the Judicial Tower will only be granted in limited circumstances. All persons who enter the Judicial Tower shall be escorted by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office into and out of the Judicial Tower and shall not be left unattended. There shall be an exception made for the return of Grand Jury indictments. That exception is:

The Probate Court Courtroom on the 1st Floor of the Courthouse will remain unlocked and open to the public so that Grand Jury indictments can be returned in open court. The District Attorney’s Office is to notify the Presiding Judge and the Sheriff’s Office in advance of when indictments will be returned, and any member of the public seeking to enter the Courthouse at or immediately prior to that time should be informed that they are free to observe the return of the indictments but that they will not be able to access any other portions of the Judicial Tower. They should then be allowed to enter if they wish and directed to the proper courtroom. No permission is needed for members of the public wishing to observe, and none should be turned away.

All jury trials shall be suspended until April 3, 2023."

Read the full Judicial Order- 1.12.2023.