Atlanta, May 5, 2021 – Chief Justice Harold D. Melton announced today that beginning June 9, 2021, the state’s highest court will resume conducting oral arguments in person at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center in downtown Atlanta. For the first time in more than a year, all nine justices will be seated together on the bench in the sixth floor courtroom. Since Chief Justice Melton first declared a Statewide Judicial Emergency due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in March 2020, the Court has been holding monthly oral arguments via Zoom.
“Although the Statewide Judicial Emergency remains in place, this is yet another step in our court system’s return to robust court operations,” Chief Justice Melton said.
Public health protocols will be in place for the in-person proceedings. The nine justices, who all have been fully vaccinated, will wear masks throughout the session, as will all other persons in the courtroom, although attorneys arguing before the court may remove their masks at the podium, if they so choose. Attorneys will receive an In-Person Oral Argument Guide prior to the proceedings.
Although the courtroom gallery normally accommodates 154 persons, with social distancing, the number will be limited to 34, including members of the public, co-counsel, parties, and media representatives. All will be expected to wear masks over their noses and mouths and maintain social distancing as indicated in posted signs. All in-person and remote oral argument sessions are broadcast live on the Court’s website, www.gasupreme.us.
The in-person oral argument health protocols will be reassessed for the August 24-26 sessions. Once it is safe to have more people in the courtroom, the Court will resume ceremonies at the beginning of oral argument sessions in which attorneys are formally sworn into the Supreme Court bar.
The Court also will consider requests for remote arguments conducted by Zoom and may schedule some remote arguments each month. Parties will be required to confer before filing a request for remote oral argument, and the request must indicate if there is good cause for the request (e.g., health concerns due to COVID-19) or if remote argument is merely preferred. The Court will grant or deny a request for remote oral argument in its discretion and will advise the parties of its decision before the case is placed on an argument calendar.