EXPLAINER: How does Chatham County Recorder's Court operate?
The judicial system is a complex organization of courts and circuits, each with its own well-defined role. With judgeships up for election during the 2022 cycle, here's an explanation of what the Chatham County Recorder's Court does.
Recorder's Court is a municipal court that handles largely traffic and code violations matters. Georgia has three Recorder's Courts, including one in Savannah. The Savannah Morning News spoke to Chief Recorder's Court Judge Tammy Stokes for an explainer on how the court is run.
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What is the purpose of Recorder's Court?
Recorder's Court is a municipal court that handles mostly traffic citations, code enforcement and city ordinance violations. “Recorder’s Court in Chatham County really forms the basis of the criminal justice system for the Chatham County court system,” said Chief Recorder’s Court Judge Tammy Stokes. “It is the wide end of the funnel is what I tell folks.”
Stokes said most criminal cases start in Recorder’s Court, whether it’s a traffic, misdemeanor or felony cases.
What kinds of cases come before Recorder's Court?
Recorder’s Court hears traffic cases and misdemeanor cases such as DUIs and simple battery. Felony cases also come though Recorder's Court. The two types of cases that are generally resolved in Recorder’s Court are code enforcement violations, such as city code violations, and traffic cases.
Stokes said most people associate Recorder’s Court with traffic court. Recorder’s Court does not set bond for murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking, hijacking of an automobile or airplane, kidnapping with bodily injury and aggravated child molestation. Those would be handled by a Superior Court judge.
"The other cases that routinely come through that we do here on bond are burglaries, aggravated assaults, drug cases, (such as) possession and intent to distribute, and child molestation that is not aggravated,” Stokes said. “Those kinds of cases are ones that we set bond for.”
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Who helps run Recorder's Court?
Donna Willingham serves as director of the Chatham County Recorder’s Court and runs the day-to-day operations of the court with the assistance of about 30 staffers. Willingham also helps coordinate docket schedules for the three Recorder’s Court judges and handles the city and county budget for the court.
What's the role of Recorder's Court chief judge?
Stokes is the chief judge of Chatham County Recorder’s Court. Her term ends at the end of the year, as she will later be sworn in as one of the Superior Court judges. Stokes said she works closely with the director of Chatham County Recorder’s Court on administrative duties. “If there are issues that come up, generally, he turned to the chief judge to communicate with the court administrator and with the other judges," she said.
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How can residents access records from the Recorder's Court?
Residents can access online records held by the Chatham County Recorder’s Court by visiting the Chatham County Court Case Search System and creating an account. Depending on the type of documents, Stokes said residents can also file an open record request for documents. Another way would be to contact the court directly by phone or by mail or email.
Stokes said often times, they will have people who want clarification on a ruling in their case or they need to present proof of a resolved case for a job. “That's why people need to come back in and get copies of dispositions or check their records,” she said.
How is a case appealed after it’s been in Recorder's Court?
If a resident disagrees with a sentencing or ruling in Recorder's Court, whether it is a traffic case or code enforcement violation, Stokes said they can appeal the decision with the Superior Court.
Raisa is a Watchdog and Investigative Reporter for The Savannah Morning News. Contact her at rhabersham@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: EXPLAINER: How does Chatham County Recorder's Court operate?
