In 1913, the General Assembly created the Municipal Court of Atlanta. The 1973 and 1996 Charters of the City of Atlanta created the current Municipal Court of Atlanta. The Court is presided over by 11 Municipal Court Judges. In July 2005, the administrative functions of the City Court of Atlanta (Traffic Court) were abolished to combine and streamline operations for both courts. The merger will eventually result in millions of dollars saved by the City of Atlanta and should improve the court's overall efficiency. The court is housed at 150 Garnett Street in Atlanta.
WHAT TYPES OF CASES ARE HEARD AT THE COURT?
The Municipal Court and each Judge have jurisdiction and power to try and punish violators of the City Charter, city ordinances and traffic, including any other violations as provided by law. The court also conducts preliminary hearings for all state offenses. A preliminary hearing does not determine an individual’s guilt or innocence. The purpose of a preliminary hearing is to determine if there is probable cause for the arrest/charge. If probable cause is indeed found, the Judge hearing the case will send the case over to the Superior Court or State Court for trial.