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- Sep 30, 2011
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Governor Nathan Deal’s push to expand the Georgia Supreme Court won final approval Tuesday from the state Senate, when members passed a bill to expand the court by two justices.
While House Bill 927 also makes other changes, including how the state Supreme Court and the state Court of Appeals divvy up cases, it’s the top court’s expansion that feature in the bill.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Christian Coomer, R-Cartersville, has presented the expansion as a necessity for a growing state, saying it would help the court spend more time on important cases. Under HB 927, the Supreme Court would expand from seven to nine justices as recommended by the Appellate Jurisdiction Review Commission, which considered the idea last year.
Left unsaid, however, was the influence Deal could have the court’s make-up in the near future: The bill would allow him to appoint the two new justices this summer, something opponents took issue with
“We’re trying to pack the court here…for political reasons,” said Senate Minority Leader Steve Henson, D-Tucker, who spoke against the bill during debate.
Expansion of Georgia’s Supreme Court wins final approval | www.ajc.com
This will be an interesting development.
While House Bill 927 also makes other changes, including how the state Supreme Court and the state Court of Appeals divvy up cases, it’s the top court’s expansion that feature in the bill.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Christian Coomer, R-Cartersville, has presented the expansion as a necessity for a growing state, saying it would help the court spend more time on important cases. Under HB 927, the Supreme Court would expand from seven to nine justices as recommended by the Appellate Jurisdiction Review Commission, which considered the idea last year.
Left unsaid, however, was the influence Deal could have the court’s make-up in the near future: The bill would allow him to appoint the two new justices this summer, something opponents took issue with
“We’re trying to pack the court here…for political reasons,” said Senate Minority Leader Steve Henson, D-Tucker, who spoke against the bill during debate.
Expansion of Georgia’s Supreme Court wins final approval | www.ajc.com
This will be an interesting development.
