- December/Winter
- April
- August
We docket cases to a term, not in a term, and cases are generally being docketed a term ahead. The Georgia Constitution requires the Court to decide a case by the end of the next term – the “two-term rule.”
A case docketed to the December/Winter term must be decided by the end of the following April term, a case docketed to the April term must be decided by the end of the August term, and a case docketed to the August term must be decided by the end of the December/Winter term.
The docket identifies the term to which the case is docketed. The docketing notices that go out to the parties also identify the term.
The beginning and end dates of each term are identified by statute. Each term begins on the first Monday of the first month of the term.
The statute, OCGA Section 15-2-4 (c), also specifies each term’s end date:
- The December/Winter term ends on March 31 of the following year;
- The April term ends on July 17; and
- The August term ends on November 18.
If the end date falls on a weekend or holiday, then the term ends on the closest preceding business day.
The statute also provides that no judgments in a second-term case may be rendered in the last 15 days of a term. In other words, opinions or orders disposing of a previous-term case must be issued at least 15 days before the term’s end. The court refers to that 15th day before the end of the term as “opinion distress day.”
Cases docketed to the Winter/December 2025 term must be decided no later than July 2, 2025.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by July 17, 2025.
Cases docketed to the April 2025 term must be decided no later than November 3, 2025.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by is November 18, 2025.
Cases docketed to the August 2025 term must be decided no later than March 16, 2026.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by March 31, 2026.
Cases docketed to the Winter/December 2026 term must be decided no later than July 2, 2026.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by July 17, 2026.
Cases docketed to the April 2026 term must be decided no later than November 3, 2026.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by November 18, 2026.
Cases docketed to the August 2026 term must be decided no later than March 16, 2027.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by March 31, 2027.
2027
Cases docketed to the Winter/December 2027 term must be decided no later than July 1, 2027.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by July 16, 2027 (July 17, 2027 is a Saturday).
Cases docketed to the April 2027 term must be decided no later than November 3, 2027.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by November 18, 2027.
Cases docketed to the August 2027 term must be decided no later than March 16, 2028.
All motions for reconsideration must be decided by March 31, 2028.
