Rule 39.3.The Criminal Docket

Rule 39. DOCKETING AND INDEXING · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 17, 2026

In one sentenceRule 39.3 requires the clerk to maintain a criminal docket tracking every indictment and accusation from filing through sentencing and appeal, and separately requires each circuit to compile and transmit to the Supreme Court a semi-annual list of felony cases awaiting a new-trial ruling or appellate record transmission.

Full Text of Rule 39.3

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The Criminal Docket shall contain a record of all criminal indictments in which true bills are rendered and all accusations filed in the office of the clerk of superior court and a summary of the pleadings in each case. Entries shall be made of the following information:

(A) Number–a unique number shall be assigned to each indictment which receives a true bill or accusation filed pursuant to Rule 36.9;

(B) Date of filing;

(C) Names of defendants and their OBTS numbers (the preprinted Offender Tracking No. found on the GCIC final disposition report);

(D) Names of defense attorneys;

(E) An enumeration of the specific types of offenses (counts);

(F) Whether the case was brought by accusation or indictment;

(G) Whether each count is a felony or misdemeanor, or a traffic ticket, and if a traffic ticket, the citation number;

(H) The name of the judge making the final disposition of the case;

(I) The plea and date of plea for each count in the case, including whether the plea was guilty, not guilty, nolo contendere, mentally incompetent to stand trial, and whether or not the plea was negotiated;

(J) Whether the case was tried with or without a jury;

(K) The disposition for each count in the case and the date of disposition including whether the count was dismissed, a nolle prosequi entered, a verdict of guilty was rendered, a verdict of not guilty was rendered, a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, or a verdict of guilty but mentally ill;

(L) A listing of the dates and types of proceedings in the case including motions for new trials;

(M) The date and type of sentence including term, conditions, and amount of costs, fines or restitution for each defendant;

(N) The date of issuance of a bench warrant and officer’s return;

(O) The date of issuance of a judgment absolute;

(P) The date of issuance of scire facias;

(Q) The date the transcript was filed;

(R) The date application was made for sentence review;

(S) The date notice of appeal was filed;

(T) The date the remittitur was filed;

(U) A cross-reference to the minutes and final record and page number; and

(V) A cross-reference to the records storage area and box number if the case file is stored off- site.

Rule 39.3.1. Semi-Annual Lists of Felony Cases No later than 30 days after January 1 and July 1 of each calendar year, the superior court clerk of the county or counties in each judicial circuit shall submit a list of all felony cases either pending judgment on a motion for new trial or transmission of a record on appeal in that court to the judges of that court in a format specified by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The list

shall include the following information: sentencing judge, assigned judge, counsel of record, the date of the sentence, the date the transcript was filed, the date a motion for new trial or an amended motion for new trial was filed, whether a motion for new trial has been ruled upon, the date a notice of appeal was filed, and whether the record is ready for transmittal. The cases shall be listed in order of length of time pending.

No later than 10 days from receipt of the initial list, the chief judge of the superior court for each judicial circuit shall submit a final list electronically to the clerk of the Supreme Court. The list shall be filed in the superior court clerk’s office as a court record available pursuant to Rule 21. The list also shall be provided to the district attorney and the circuit public defender. The Supreme Court shall make the list available to the public.

The Supreme Court may take such other action to address unjustified delays in cases as may be appropriate.

Plain-English Summary

Rule 39.3 does for criminal cases what Rule 39.2 does for civil ones: it requires the clerk to keep a detailed docket tracking every indictment that receives a true bill and every accusation filed in the office. That docket records the defendant’s name and tracking number, defense counsel, the specific charges, whether the case proceeded by indictment or accusation, pleas entered, trial and disposition dates, sentences, and the paper trail through appeal — bench warrants, transcripts, notices of appeal, and remittiturs.

The rule’s second half, added through Rule 39.3.1, targets a specific problem: felony cases that stall after sentencing while a motion for new trial or an appeal sits unresolved. Twice a year, the superior court clerk in each circuit must compile a list of every such pending case, showing the sentencing and assigned judges, counsel of record, and key dates — sentencing, transcript filing, motion for new trial filing, and notice of appeal. The list is sorted by how long each case has been pending, putting the oldest delays at the top.

That list does not stay buried in the clerk’s office. The chief judge of the circuit forwards it to the Supreme Court’s clerk within ten days, and the superior court clerk’s office files the list as a court record available under Rule 21, with copies going to the district attorney and the circuit public defender. The Supreme Court then makes the list available to the public in its own right, and it can act on delays it finds unjustified — giving this reporting requirement real teeth as an oversight mechanism for stalled criminal appeals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must the Criminal Docket record for each case?

It must record a unique case number, filing date, defendant and defense counsel information, the specific offenses charged, whether the case was an indictment or accusation, pleas entered, trial and disposition details, sentencing information, and appeal-related dates through the filing of the remittitur.

How often must circuits report on pending felony cases with unresolved motions for new trial?

No later than 30 days after January 1 and July 1 of each year, the clerk must submit a list of felony cases pending a ruling on a motion for new trial or transmission of the appellate record.

Who receives the semi-annual list of pending felony cases?

The chief judge submits the final list to the clerk of the Supreme Court within 10 days of receiving it; the superior court clerk’s office files the list as a court record available under Rule 21 and provides it to the district attorney and the circuit public defender, and the Supreme Court separately makes the list available to the public.

In what order are cases listed on the semi-annual felony report?

The cases are listed in order of length of time pending, so the longest-delayed cases appear first.

What can the Supreme Court do if it identifies unjustified delays from these reports?

Rule 39.3 states that the Supreme Court may take other action to address unjustified delays in cases as may be appropriate.

Amendment History

Adopted effective January 1, 2019.

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 criminal docket requirementssemi-annual felony case list Georgia superior courtUSCR 39.3 motion for new trial pending reportGeorgia superior court criminal case trackingGCIC OBTS number criminal docket