Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge extends judicial emergency

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A 30-day extension for a judicial emergency in Cobb Superior Court has been issued by Chief Judge Gregory Poole, stemming from serious issues with the court clerk’s office new online filing system.

Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge Gregory Poole

Poole said in a release issued by Cobb government Wednesday that the emergency will continue through Oct. 6, due to a “significant backlog” in updating the system with documents.

(You can read the notice of extension by clicking here).

He issued the initial emergency earlier this month, saying that serious filing issues and delays are plaguing the new system and prompting many court proceedings to be ground to a halt.

Without informing judges, Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor installed a new court filing system in June that had repeated malfunctions, and that were prompting delays in converting documents from the old system in some cases by weeks and months.

Under the emergency, there was an extension of deadlines for filing motions, setting court calendars and other proceedings.

In his extension announced Wednesday, Poole said that some documents dating back to November 2023 haven’t been uploaded, and that issues over notices, schedules and calendars remain.

“Court staff have also been confused by procedural changes in stamp-filing original documents, and indigent defendants are still being charged for access to documents,” the county release said.

“The Chief Judge continues to believe that these types of issues and conditions continue to raise serious due process and other constitutional concerns.”

The emergency order applies only to Cobb Superior Court, which handles felonies, major civil litigation, divorces, child support matters and more. State Court, Magistrate Court, Probate Court and Juvenile Court systems in Cobb are not affected by the order.

Taylor is a state constitutional elected officer whose term expires this year. A Democrat, she easily won the party primary in May over three opponents despite being dogged by controversy.

She acknowledged personally pocketing $425,000 in passport fees—court clerks are allowed to do this—a sum that far exceeded her predecessors.

Taylor allegedly ordered one of her staffers to destroy documents related to the matter, telling her to “Donald Trump this thing.”

By end of last year, Taylor’s office was falling behind filing documents to the court systems, sometimes by several months.

She told Poole some of those issues were caused by staff shortages in her office.

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2 thoughts on “Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge extends judicial emergency”

  2. This Senior Resident Judge Gregory Poole is in charge of the Court Judicial System is his duty to know about all new judicial systems. This Judge has abuse his authority to conceal his bad acts and misconduct and his staff. Carley Smith who now for the Administration of Courts.
    He is blaming Connie Taylor the Clerk of Court she doesn’t have authority over the Judges. Why is it only the Superior Court affected. If it was system problem the whole court will be affected. I know this because. I have been a victim of this Judges abuse bias discrimination intimation and his violations of my civil constitution and due process right s for over eight years.
    Now that there is any investigation going on he was to hide behind and act like he is the victim and doesn’t have any idea about this judicial corruption and this political stunt.
    I have a civil case under this Judge , he refuse to allow my case to go to a jury because I am a Pro Se Woman Litigant and he refuse to allow my case to be heard by a jury.
    Cobb County Magistrate already rule on the facts, i need my relief which he refuse to allow for over eight years.

    Reply

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