Many of your rights expire or are limited by the "term" of court. A "term of court" is a period of time that the court is in session for business. Terms of court are found in the Georgia Code at O.C.G.A. ยง 15-6-3.  Around metro Atlanta, Columbus, Augusta, Savannah, and other more populated places, the courts are open for business all year long. Nevertheless, we still follow the term system that started way back when judges rode from county to county on horseback taking care of business for a few months in a certain county and then moving on to the next one. The Official Code of Georgia specifies the terms used by each of Georgia's 159 counties.

 

     For criminal cases, the most important application of a "term" of court regards the strategic use of a speedy trial demand. A defendant who files a demand for a speedy trial during the term in which they are indicted or the following term must get a speedy trial within the term they file the demand or the following term. What the means in real life is that in counties with short terms, like Cobb County's 2-month terms, a defendant who files a speedy trial demand will usually be tried within a few months. In counties with long terms, such as Paulding County, a speedy trial demand may still take a year or more to satisfy.

     Speedy trials have advantages and disadvantages. They're certainly something you will want to discuss with your attorney.

Appling County-- 2nd and 3rd Mondays in February and 3rd and 4th Mondays in October.

Atkinson County-- 1st Monday in April and October, provided, however, that if any term of court begins on an official state holiday, the term of court shall commence on the following Tuesday; and if any other day within the term of court shall be an official state holiday, the court shall be closed for that holiday.

Bacon County-- 3rd Monday in April and 2nd Monday in October, provided, however, that if any term of court begins on an official state holiday, the term of court shall commence on the following Tuesday; and if any other day within the term of court shall be an official state holiday, the court shall be closed for that holiday.  (Beginning in 2019, the term of court shall be the 3rd Monday in April and October, as per House Bill 808 of 2018.)

Baker County-- 3rd Monday in January and July.

Baldwin County-- 2nd Monday in January, April, July, and October.

Banks County-- 1st Monday in February and August; and there shall be a grand jury for each term, but the grand jury shall not be required to be impaneled in the 1st day of each term.

Barrow County-- 1st Monday in February and August; and there shall be a grand jury for each term, but the grand jury shall not be required to be impaneled in the 1st day of each term.

Bartow County-- 1st Monday in February and August, 4th Monday in April, and 3rd Monday in October.

Ben Hill County-- 2nd and 3rd Mondays in January; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Mondays in April; 3rd and 4th Mondays in June; and 3rd and 4th Mondays in September and Monday following.

Berrien County-- 1st Monday in February and August, provided, however, that if any term of court begins on an official state holiday, the term of court shall commence on the following Tuesday; and if any other day within the term of court shall be an official state holiday, the court shall be closed for that holiday.

Bibb County-- 1st Monday in February, April, June, August, October, and December.

Bleckley County-- 2nd Monday in March and July and 4th Monday in October, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.

Brantley County-- 4th Monday in January and 2nd Monday in September. (Beginning in 2019, the term of court shall be the 4th Monday in February and August, as per House Bill 808 of 2018.)

Brooks County-- 1st Monday in April and October.

Bryan County-- 3rd Monday in March and 1st Monday in November.

Bulloch County-- 1st Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Burke County-- 4th Monday in April and October.

Butts County-- 2nd Monday in January, April, July, and October.

Calhoun County-- Last Monday in May and November.

Camden County-- 1st Monday in April and November.

Candler County-- 1st and 2nd Mondays in February and August.

Carroll County-- 2nd Monday in January and 1st Monday in April and 3rd Monday in June and 1st Monday in October.

Catoosa County-- 1st Monday in March and 2nd Monday in September.

Charlton County-- 4th Monday in February and September. (Beginning in 2019, the term of court shall be the 2nd Monday in February and August, as per House Bill 808 of 2018.)

Chatham County-- 1st Monday in March, June, September, and December.

Chattahoochee County-- 4th Monday in March and September.

Chattooga County-- 1st Monday in February and August.

Cherokee County-- 2nd Monday in January, May, and September.

Clarke County-- 2nd Monday in January, April, July, and October.

Clay County-- 2nd Monday in March and September.

Clayton County-- 1st Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Clinch County-- 3rd Monday in March and September, provided, however, that if any term of court begins on an official state holiday, the term of court shall commence on the following Tuesday; and if any other day within the term of court shall be an official state holiday, the court shall be closed for that holiday.

Cobb County-- 2nd Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.

Coffee County-- 3rd Monday in March and October. (Beginning in 2019, the term of court shall be the 2nd Monday in March and September, as per House Bill 808 of 2018.)

Colquitt County-- 1st Monday in February and August.

Columbia County-- 4th Monday in March and September.

Cook County-- 2nd Monday in January and July, provided, however, that if any term of court begins on an official state holiday, the term of court shall commence on the following Tuesday; and if any other day within the term of court shall be an official state holiday, the court shall be closed for that holiday.

Coweta County-- 1st Monday in March and 1st Tuesday in September.

Crawford County-- 3rd and 4th Mondays in March and October.

Crisp County-- 3rd and 4th Mondays in February and Monday following; 3rd and 4th Mondays in May; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Mondays in August; and 2nd and 3rd Mondays in November.

Dade County-- 1st Monday in April and 2nd Monday in October.

Dawson County-- 1st Monday in March and 2nd Monday in September.

Decatur County-- 1st Monday in May and November.

DeKalb County-- 1st Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.

Dodge County-- 3rd Monday in February, 1st Monday in June, and last Monday in September, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.

Dooly County-- 1st and 2nd Mondays in February; 4th Monday in April and Monday following; 3rd and 4th Mondays in July; and 3rd and 4th Mondays in October.

Dougherty County-- 2nd Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.

Douglas County-- 2nd Monday in April and October.

Early County-- 2nd Monday in January and July.

Echols County-- 1st Monday in February and August.

Effingham County-- 1st Monday in June and December.

Elbert County-- 3rd Monday in January and 4th Monday in July.

Emanuel County-- 2nd Monday in January, April, July, and October.

Evans County-- 1st Monday in February and 1st Monday in August.

Fannin County-- 2nd Monday in May and 2nd Monday in November.

Fayette County-- 1st Monday in March and 2nd Monday in September.

Floyd County-- 2nd Monday in January, March, July, and September and 1st Monday in May and November.

Forsyth County-- 2nd Monday in March, July, and November.

Franklin County-- 3rd Monday in March and September.

Fulton County-- 1st Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.

Gilmer County-- 2nd Monday in April and 2nd Monday in October.

Glascock County-- 3rd Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Glynn County-- 2nd Monday in March and September.

Gordon County-- 1st Monday in March, December, and June; and 2nd Monday in September.

Grady County-- 3rd Monday in March and September.

Greene County-- 4th Monday in January, April, August, and November.

Gwinnett County-- 1st Monday in March, June, and December and 2nd Monday in September.

Habersham County-- January 1 and July 1.

Hall County-- 1st Monday in May and November and 2nd Monday in January and July.

Hancock County-- 4th Monday in March and September.

Haralson County-- 3rd Monday in January and August provided, however, that if the Monday set for the term of court to begin is a legal holiday, the term of court shall commence on the Tuesday next following that Monday.

Harris County-- 2nd Monday in January, May, and September.

Hart County-- 3rd Monday in February and August.

Heard County-- 3rd Monday in March and September.

Henry County-- 4th Monday in January, April, and October and 2nd Monday in July.

Houston County-- 1st Monday in January, April, July, and October.

Irwin County-- 2nd Monday in February and 2nd Monday in August.

Jackson County-- 1st Monday in February and August; and there shall be a grand jury for each term, but the grand jury shall not be required to be impaneled in the 1st day of each term.

Jasper County-- 2nd Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Jeff Davis County-- 1st and 2nd Mondays in March; 4th Monday in September; and 1st Monday in October.

Jefferson County-- 2nd Monday in May and November.

Jenkins County-- 1st Monday in March and September.

Johnson County-- 3rd Monday in March, June, September, and December.

Jones County-- 1st Monday in February and August and 3rd Monday in April and October.

Lamar County-- 2nd Monday in March, June, September, and December.

Lanier County-- 4th Monday in April and October, provided, however, that if any term of court begins on an official state holiday, the term of court shall commence on the following Tuesday; and if any other day within the term of court shall be an official state holiday, the court shall be closed for that holiday.;

Laurens County-- 4th Monday in January, April, July, and October.

Lee County-- 4th Monday in April and October.

Liberty County-- 2nd Monday in February and September.

Lincoln County-- 4th Monday in January, 3rd Monday in April, 4th Monday in July, and 3rd Monday in October.

Long County-- 1st Monday in March and 3rd Monday in August.

Lowndes County-- 1st Monday in March and 1st Tuesday immediately following 1st Monday in September.

Lumpkin County-- 4th Monday in February and August.

Macon County-- 2nd Monday in May and November.

Madison County-- 3rd Monday in April and October.

Marion County-- 4th Monday in April and October.

McDuffie County-- 2nd Monday in March, June, September, and December.

McIntosh County-- 3rd Monday in May and 1st Monday in December.

Meriwether County-- 3rd Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Miller County-- 3rd Monday in February and August.

Mitchell County-- 3rd Monday in April and October.

Monroe County-- 2nd Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Montgomery County-- 1st Monday in February and 2nd Monday in August, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.

Morgan County-- 1st Monday in March, June, September, and December.

Murray County-- 2nd Monday in February and August.

Muscogee County-- 1st Monday in February, April, June, August, October, and December.

Newton County-- 2nd and 3rd Mondays in January, April, July, and October.

Oconee County-- 2nd Monday in March and September.

Oglethorpe County-- 3rd Monday in May and November.

Paulding County-- 2nd Monday in January and July.

Peach County-- 1st and 2nd Mondays in March and August and 3rd and 4th Mondays in November.

Pickens County-- 2nd Monday in March and 2nd Monday in September.

Pierce County-- 1st Monday in May and 1st Monday in December. (Beginning in 2019, the term of court shall be the 3rd Monday in March and September, as per House Bill 808 of 2018.)

Pike County-- 3rd Monday in April and October.

Polk County-- 3rd Monday in March and July provided, however, that if the Monday set for the term of court to begin is a legal holiday, the term of court shall commence on the Tuesday next following that Monday.

Pulaski County-- 2nd Monday in April and September and 1st Monday in December, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.

Putnam County-- 3rd Monday in March, June, September, and December.

Quitman County-- 4th Monday in March and September.

Rabun County-- January 1 and July 1.

Randolph County-- 2nd Monday in May and November.

Richmond County-- 3rd Monday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.

Rockdale County-- 1st Monday in January, April, July, and October.

Schley County-- 2nd Monday in February and August.

Screven County-- 2nd Monday in January and 1st Monday in April, July, and October.

Seminole County-- 3rd Monday in April and October.

Spalding County-- 1st Monday in February, June, and October.

Stephens County-- January 1 and July 1.

Stewart County-- 3rd Monday in March and September.

Sumter County-- 4th Monday in February, May, and August and the Monday following the 4th Thursday in November.

Talbot County-- 2nd Monday in March and November and 3rd Monday in August.

Taliaferro County-- 4th Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Tattnall County-- 3rd Monday in April and October.

Taylor County-- 2nd Monday in February, June, and October.

Telfair County-- 3rd Monday in March and August and 1st Monday in November, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.

Terrell County-- 1st Monday in June and December.

Thomas County-- 1st Monday in April and October.

Tift County-- 2nd Monday in March and 2nd Monday in September.

Toombs County-- 4th Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Towns County-- January 1 and July 1.

Treutlen County-- 3rd Monday in February and August.

Troup County-- 1st Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Turner County-- 2nd Monday in April and 2nd Monday in October.

Twiggs County-- 2nd Monday in January, April, July, and October.

Union County-- January 1 and July 1.

Upson County-- 3rd Monday in March and August and 1st Monday in November.

Walker County-- 1st Monday in May and November.

Walton County-- 1st and 2nd Mondays in February, May, August, and November.

Ware County-- 1st Monday in April and 2nd Monday in November. (Beginning in 2019, the term of court shall be the 2nd Monday in April and October, as per House Bill 808 of 2018.)

Warren County-- 3rd Monday in January and 1st Monday in April, July, and October.

Washington County-- 1st Monday in March, June, September, and December.

Wayne County-- 3rd and 4th Mondays in April and November.

Webster County-- 2nd Monday in January and July.

Wheeler County-- Last Monday in January and 1st Monday in August, and there shall be a grand jury for each term.

White County-- 1st Monday in April and October.

Whitfield County-- 2nd Monday in January and July.

Wilcox County-- 2nd and 3rd Mondays in March; 4th Monday in August and Monday following; and 1st and 2nd Mondays in December.

Wilkes County-- 1st Monday in February, May, August, and November.

Wilkinson County-- 4th Monday in February, 1st Monday in April and October, and 3rd Monday in August.

Worth County-- 2nd Monday in January and 2nd Monday in July.