Rule 13. ARGUMENTS · Last amended 2008 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 13.1 sets default closing-argument time limits by case type: two hours per side for death-penalty or life-in-prison felonies and for most civil cases, one hour per side for other felonies, and 30 minutes per side for misdemeanors and appeals from magistrate court.
Full Text of Rule 13.1
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Counsel shall be limited in their arguments as follows:
(A) Felony cases punishable by the death penalty or life in prison -- 2 hours each side.
(B) Any other felony case -- 1 hour each side.
(C) Misdemeanor case -- 30 minutes each side.
(D) Civil cases other than appeals from magistrate courts -- 2 hours each side.
(E) Appeals from magistrate courts -- 30 minutes each side.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 13.1 scales argument time to what is at stake. The most serious criminal cases — felonies punishable by death or life in prison — and civil cases generally both get two hours per side, putting capital and other maximum-exposure criminal cases on the same clock as a full civil trial. Other felonies get half that, one hour per side, and misdemeanors are capped at 30 minutes per side.
Civil cases follow their own logic within the same structure. Most civil trials get the same two hours per side as the highest-stakes criminal cases, reflecting that civil disputes can be just as fact-intensive and hard-fought. But an appeal from magistrate court — typically a smaller, simpler case working its way up — gets only 30 minutes per side, the same short limit as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much argument time does each side get in a death-penalty or life-felony case?
2 hours each side.
How much time is allowed for other felony cases?
1 hour each side.
How much time is allowed for misdemeanor cases?
30 minutes each side.
How much argument time applies to civil cases generally?
2 hours each side, for civil cases other than appeals from magistrate courts.
What is the time limit for appeals from magistrate court?
30 minutes each side.
Amendment History
Amended effective September 2, 1999; May 1, 2008.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:georgia closing argument time limit ruleUSCR 13.1death penalty argument time georgia superior courtcivil trial closing argument time georgiamagistrate court appeal argument time limit georgia