ATLANTA (March 4, 2025) — On Friday, Senate Bill 145 passed out of the Senate and now moves to the Georgia House of Representatives for further consideration. Sen. Harold Jones II (D–Augusta), Leader of the Democratic Caucus, co-sponsored the measure with Senators Max Burns (R–Sylvania) and Lee Anderson (R–Grovetown). SB 145 would provide a sixth judge to the superior courts of the Augusta Judicial Circuit.
“I’m happy to see that SB 145 passed out of the Senate with bipartisan support,” said Leader Jones. “This is not a partisan issue but affects everyone in the Greater Augusta area. The current backlog of cases plaguing our circuit prevents those accused of a crime from receiving a fair and speedy trial. Adding a sixth judge will allow our judges to clear this backlog. I look forward to seeing this legislation pass swiftly through the House.”
The Governor would appoint the additional position for a term beginning on January 1, 2026.
SB 145 can be found here.
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Sen. Harold V. Jones II serves as the Democratic Leader. He represents the 22nd Senate District, which includes portions of Richmond County. He may be reached at 404.656.0036 or via email at harold.jones@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.