Rule 39. DOCKETING AND INDEXING · Last amended 1997 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 39.9 authorizes a circuit’s chief judge to require each county’s clerk to submit a monthly caseload management report — covering filings, dispositions, pending cases, and aging cases beyond 120 or 180 days — built to Judicial Council guidelines and available to the Chief Justice on request.
Full Text of Rule 39.9
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The chief judge of each circuit may require the superior court clerk of each county of that circuit to furnish to the chief judge within 10 days after the end of each month, a general civil, domestic relations and a criminal caseload management report. The Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court may request copies of the information that is furnished to the Chief Judges of the circuits pursuant to this rule.
The case types, events types and disposition methods used in these reports will conform to Judicial Council guidelines for reporting caseload. Each such report shall include the following:
(A) the number of cases filed by case type in the prior month and year-to-date;
(B) the number of cases disposed by case type and disposition method in the prior month and year-to-date;
(C) the number and type of pending cases; (D) a list of cases more than 120 days old (criminal) and 180 days old (civil/domestic relations) to include the following data: (i) case number, (ii) style, (iii) case type, (iv) filing date, (v) next event scheduled, (vi) date of that event; and (E) any other information the Chief Judge requests that is contained within court standardized computer programs.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 39.9 gives circuit chief judges a management tool: the authority to require each superior court clerk in the circuit to produce a monthly caseload report covering civil, domestic relations, and criminal cases. Clerks who receive that request have ten days after the month ends to deliver it.
The rule does not leave the report’s contents to guesswork. It must follow Judicial Council guidelines for case types, event types, and disposition methods, and it must break out how many cases were filed and disposed of during the month and year-to-date, how many remain pending, and — pointedly — which pending cases have aged past 120 days for criminal matters or 180 days for civil and domestic relations matters, along with the case number, style, type, and next scheduled event for each.
That aging-case detail turns the report into an early-warning system for backlogs. A chief judge scanning the list can see which cases are falling behind before they become chronic delays, and the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court can request copies of the same information, giving the state’s highest court visibility into caseload management at the circuit level.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must the caseload management report be submitted?
The chief judge may require it monthly, with the clerk furnishing the report within 10 days after the end of each month.
What case categories does the report cover?
It covers general civil, domestic relations, and criminal caseloads.
What counts as an aging case that must be listed in the report?
Criminal cases pending more than 120 days and civil or domestic relations cases pending more than 180 days must be listed, including case number, style, case type, filing date, next scheduled event, and the date of that event.
Who sets the standards for how case types and dispositions are reported?
The case types, event types, and disposition methods used must conform to Judicial Council guidelines for reporting caseload.
Can the Chief Justice of Georgia access these caseload reports?
Yes, the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court may request copies of the information furnished to the chief judges under this rule.
Amendment History
Rule 39.9 adopted effective March 13, 1997.
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 superior court caseload management reportUSCR 39.9 monthly clerk reportaging cases 120 180 days Georgia courtJudicial Council caseload guidelines Georgiachief judge caseload report requirement