CUMMING, Ga. — In-person hearings have not taken place in Forsyth County since the coronavirus pandemic forced the closure of government buildings in March. Starting Monday, June 1, however, the in-person hearings will resume for Forsyth County State Court cases.
According to a release from Karen Shields, the Forsyth County Director of Communications, the first group of cases to be held in-person will consist of reduced no more than 40 people per day per courtroom, for arraignments of serious misdemeanor offenses and traffic arraignments. The release goes on to state if a resident has received a notice for a court appearance during the first two weeks of June, he or she may receive a new court date notice rescheduling his or her appearance due to the reduced calendar.
For those charged with a traffic citation:
- The citation may be payable.
- If the ticket was one that originally required the individual to appear in court, it may have been made “payable” by the prosecutor.
- To check the status of a citation or to pay a citation, please visit the Forsyth County Clerk’s website.
- If the ticket is not payable, contact the Solicitor General at 770-781-2145.
As the court plans to resume in-person hearings, guidelines consistent with the Chief Justice’s May 11, 2020 extension of a Declaration of Statewide Judicial Emergency are being designed to protect the health and safety of all those coming to the courthouse. The guidelines will allow the courts to begin working on the backlog of cases caused by the pandemic. Once complete, the guidelines will be published on the Forsyth County Clerk’s website. Pursuant to the Chief Justice’s initial order declaring a Statewide Judicial Emergency issued March 14, all non-essential Forsyth County State Court cases were continued. These cases included traffic and misdemeanor offenses. On May 11, 2020, the Chief Justice entered a second order extending the Declaration of Statewide Judicial Emergency which provides for some in-person judicial proceedings, but only if they are conducted in compliance with public health guidelines and with all applicable law and court rules.
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