Court Administrator
The office of the court administrator assists the Judges with the non-judicial activities of the court. This office is involved with case management/scheduling, jury management and pretrial services. Modern administrative techniques are utilized in the day-to-day court operations, and this office serves as a promoter of court technology and innovation. The court administrator and her staff function within general management areas rather than specific legal areas. Additionally, this office assists attorneys, members of the public, other justice system employees and litigants by providing them with current information pertaining to individual court cases and specific case events. Further, the capability to conduct court related research is an important responsibility of this office.
Court Administrator
Crystal Taylor Cooper 652-7127
Deputy Court Administrator
Brooke Rogers Brooks 652-7128
Fax 652-7130
Case Management Division
One of the essential elements of the court's mission is the timely flow and effective management of the court's cases through the court system. Case flow management, far from being a science, can best be described as an art form, an art form far more advanced today than it was over a decade ago. This division provides the court with the necessary tools to facilitate the flow of cases through the system. Additionally, this division provides the court and the court administrator with the necessary workload information so that sound management decisions can be made.
Director
Nan Garner 652-7131
Jury Management Division
A random selection of approximately 65,000 names is drawn at least every two years from Voter Registration and supplemented with citizens drawn from the Department of Driver’s Services files. This list, which is certified by the Jury Commissioners, then becomes the Petit, or Traverse, Jury list for the next year. Each week of the year approximately 300 to 600 jurors are selected at random by the computer from this certified pool of citizens. The summonses for those selected are mailed approximately a month prior to their week of service. Through the use of the automated Juror Information Line (652-7169) and the Chatham County website (www.chathamcounty.org), jurors are able to access their reporting instructions during their week of jury service. A citizen in Chatham County will only be on call for service during one week and are eligible to be summoned once every calendar year. During most weeks summoned citizens will only need to report one day for the selection process and, if chosen, serve on one trial until it is completed. Most trials in Chatham County last one to three days, and even if there is an exception and a trial lasts longer, all trials started during a week will usually end by the end of a juror’s week to be on call for service. It is very rare that a juror will have to serve past their summons week, though it is possible.
The Jury Service Division is staffed by two full-time employees and assisted by one other Court Administrative employee. The Jury Service Division staff administers the program for the entire Eastern Judicial Circuit and provides jurors for the Superior, State and Probate Courts in that circuit. It is the responsibility of the Jury Manager and Assistant Jury Manager to develop and coordinate with the aid of the Information & Communications Services Department (ICS), the weekly jury pools, to conduct the daily juror orientation, to facilitate the processing of over 6,000 jurors each year, to rule on requests for excusal, deferral, or exemption, to interact on a daily basis with citizens of Chatham County who have been summoned for jury service, and all other duties involved in ensuring that Chatham County’s Jury System functions well.
Visit the Jury Services page
Jury Manager
Patty Morelli 652-7139