COURT OF APPEALS OF GEORGIA

Suite 501, 47 Trinity Avenue, S.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30334

August 28, 2008

Press Release

Chief Judge Anne Elizabeth Barnes of the Court of Appeals of Georgia announced on Thursday, August 28, 2008 steps have been taken to reduce the Court's budget due to the statewide budget crisis in cooperation with the requests by the Governor's office and legislative leaders.

Most of the Court's expenditures are personnel because the Court is a service organization. Therefore, the Court has only a limited operational budget from which to make budget adjustments and most of these expenditures are dedicated to fixed costs.

Since the Court has already reduced its operational expenditures to a bare minimum, the only course available to the Court to reduce expenses is to eliminate positions to reach the state budgetary goals. These layoffs include the elimination of 5 attorneys, 2 administrative assistants, 2 clerk's office employees, and 1 fiscal office employee in addition to leaving vacant a Technical Services position. Also, the reduction in operational expenses will delay the completion of the Court's document e-filing project.

Presently, the Court is also taking steps to assess how the loss of employees will impact the services the Court is required to provide under the Constitution and state statutes and how it will impact the expectations of attorneys and parties seeking resolution of their cases before the Court.

For further information, contact William L. Martin, III, Clerk/Court Administrator either at

martinw@gaappeals.us or by telephone 404-657-8352.

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