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Records Information

Purchase Records

Lower Court Records

Once the Court of Appeals decides a case, the Court’s copy of the record is maintained for a period of time after the decision is rendered – typically a year – and it is then normally recycled/disposed of. The Court of Appeals typically maintains the opinion, docketing notice, briefs, and some motions permanently.

Before coming to the Court to view the lower-court record, please call to insure that it is available. Often the judges or staff attorneys have the record and it may not be accessible on the day you come. The original trial court record is maintained by the Clerk of the lower court.

Published Opinions

Published opinions from the Court of Appeals starting from the year 2007 can be accessed by searching on the Docket/Case Status page.

Other sources are of published opinions from the Court of Appeals are available from paid sources such as LexisNexis and Westlaw. They are also accessible at schools, libraries, and Government offices that have a public law library. Details regarding cases from

Published Opinions, Unpublished Opinions, and Court Documents

The Court of Appeal has records from approximately 1993 until the present. Copies may be obtained for a charge of $1.50 per page.

Historical Records

Cases/Documents at the Court (1993 to Present)

Presently the Court maintains records of cases that are not stored in the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Primarily, cases decided after 1993 (cases greater than the number A94A0001) are maintained by the Court Clerk. Records can be in various formats; in hard (paper) copy, on our electronic docket, on microfilm, and on a web-based access forum.

Documents from cases from 1994 until the present are available at the Court of Appeals Clerk’s Office. Records from 1994 until 2009, are stored on microfilm. Those cases begin with case # A94A0001 and end with case # A09A2410. Later cases are stored on our electronic docket, our electronic court archives, or in hard copy.

Cases/Documents in Archives (1907 to 2008)

Cases docketed during 2008 and earlier (cases before number A09A0001) are maintained by the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Some cases between the years 1993 and 2008 may also be stored on microfilm.

You may view or obtain copies of a document from a pre-1993 case by visiting the Georgia Archives.

Address:
5800 Jonesboro Road
Morrow, Georgia 30260

Phone:
678-364-3710
678-364-3701

www.georgiaarchives.org

You can search this PDF document for the information needed to provide the Department of Archives. Typically Archives will need the following information to retrieve a case. Save the information on the page (often pages) that contains the case number.

  1. The Record Group: This number identifies the Court of Appeals and is always 56-2-2.
  2. Accession Number,
  3. Box or Container Number, and,
  4. Location.

Records Storage

The Court will maintain the record and/or transcripts of all direct appeals for a period of one year after the remittitur date unless one or more of the parties notifies the Court, in writing, to maintain the record for an additional six months, and the reason therefore. The requesting party must send an additional request fourteen days before the expiration of each six-month period to avoid the record being destroyed. No party will receive any notice that the record is being destroyed except for the notice contained on the Notice of Remittitur. 

This policy does not affect the original trial court record which remains in the trial court.