This program may be established in any county by the superior court judges of the circuit within which that county lies and the appropriate county governing authorities.
Rule 27.PRE–TRIAL RELEASE PROGRAM
Rule 27. PRE–TRIAL RELEASE PROGRAM · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 27 authorizes, but does not require, a county’s superior court judges and county governing authorities to jointly establish a pre-trial release program that lets accused persons obtain conditional release without posting a full money bond.
Full Text of Rule 27
Plain-English Summary
Rule 27 opens the chapter that lets a county set up an alternative to traditional money bail. It is permissive rather than mandatory — the superior court judges of the circuit in which a county lies, acting together with that county’s governing authorities, may establish a pre-trial release program if they choose to.
The rest of Chapter 27 fills in how such a program runs once a county opts in: who oversees it, what duties it performs, how an accused person gets released under it, what alternatives to the program’s own 10% bail exist, and how a bondsman gets released from liability after a forfeiture. This opening rule supplies the authority that makes all of that possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every Georgia county required to have a pre-trial release program?
No, the rule states that the program “may be established,” making it optional rather than mandatory.
Who has the authority to establish a pre-trial release program?
The superior court judges of the circuit within which the county lies, acting together with the appropriate county governing authorities.
Can a pre-trial release program exist without the county government’s involvement?
No, the rule requires the program to be established by both the circuit’s superior court judges and the county governing authorities.
What does a pre-trial release program let an accused person do?
It provides an alternative to posting a traditional money bond, as detailed in the rules that follow governing the program’s structure, duties, and release procedures.
Is the pre-trial release program run at the state level or the county level?
At the county level, established by the judges of the circuit within which that county lies together with the county’s governing authorities.
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
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