Cherokee County Courts: Jail, Judges and Deadlines
Superior, State, Magistrate, Probate and Juvenile Court all sit at 90 North Street. The municipal courts do not. Here is who hears what — and when.
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One Justice Center, five courts, four city courts
The Frank C. Mills III Justice Center at 90 North Street, Canton, GA 30114 houses Cherokee County Superior Court, State Court, Magistrate Court, Probate Court and Juvenile Court. Court Administration is 678-493-6475 and the Clerk of Courts is 678-493-6511.
Cherokee County is the only county in the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit. The circuit began in 1851 with eleven counties; the mountain counties left in 1983 to form the Appalachian Circuit, and Forsyth County left on 3 July 1998, leaving Cherokee on its own with four Superior Court judges.
Separately, four cities run their own municipal courts — Canton, Woodstock, Holly Springs and Ball Ground — each on its own monthly or weekly calendar. A city citation goes there. A state charge goes to the county. Getting that wrong is how people end up with bench warrants.
Justice Center key numbers
- Court Administration: 678-493-6475
- Clerk of Courts: 678-493-6511
- Superior Court Criminal: 678-493-6508
- Superior Court Civil: 678-493-6501
- State Court Criminal/Traffic: 678-493-6550
- State Court Civil: 678-493-6555
- Magistrate Court: 678-493-6431
- Probate Court: 678-493-6160
- Juvenile Court Clerk: 678-493-6560
- Jury Department: 678-493-6565
- Indigent Defense: 678-493-6190
- Clerk annex, Woodstock: 770-501-8904
Superior and State Court offices run 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Magistrate, Juvenile and the Clerk of Courts run 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Confirm before travelling — the Justice Center has closed to the public on short notice during judicial emergencies.
Who hears what
Magistrate Court
Sets bail at first appearance for everyone booked into the ADC. Operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Suite 150, 678-493-6431.
Superior Court
Exclusive jurisdiction over felonies, plus divorce, equity and land title. Four judges, Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit. 678-493-6508.
State Court
All misdemeanor and traffic criminal cases filed with the Clerk, plus DUI Court and Veterans Court. 678-493-6550.
Probate Court
Estates, guardianships, marriage licences and Georgia weapons carry licences. Suite 340, 678-493-6160.
Juvenile Court
Dependency, delinquency, CHINS and juvenile traffic, with drug treatment and family treatment court programs. Clerk 678-493-6560.
Cherokee County Jail
498 Chattin Drive, Canton. The only detention facility in the county. Jail line 678-493-4200, Bond Administrator 678-493-4164.
Municipal courts in Cherokee County
Canton Municipal Court
151 Elizabeth Street, Canton. Arraignments at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., trials at 9 a.m., on dates the city publishes annually rather than a fixed weekly rule. 770-704-1546.
Woodstock Municipal Court
12453 Highway 92, Woodstock. Court sits Mondays at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. One continuance may be requested in person before your date. 770-592-6025.
Holly Springs Municipal Court
3235 Holly Springs Parkway. Court sits the second and fourth Tuesday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Online payment closes at 7:59 a.m. on your court date. 770-345-5538.
Ball Ground Municipal Court
215 Valley Street, Ball Ground. Court sits the third Friday at 10 a.m., once a month. 770-735-2123.
Waleska and Nelson. Neither city publishes a municipal court schedule online. Waleska City Hall is at 8891 Fincher Road, 770-479-2912; Nelson City Hall is at 1985 Kennesaw Avenue, 770-735-2211, open weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call before you drive, and remember Nelson straddles the Cherokee / Pickens county line.
Deadlines that actually bind
- 48 hours — a person arrested without a warrant who is not brought before a judicial officer within 48 hours shall be released (O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62).
- 72 hours — a person arrested on a warrant must be presented before a committing judicial officer within 72 hours and notified of the commitment hearing (§ 17-4-26). Cherokee Magistrate Court publishes the same 72-hour standard.
- 10 days — after a failure to appear, the judge must forfeit the bond and issue a bench warrant, and the clerk must serve notice on the surety (§ 17-6-71).
- 150–180 days — the window in which the court sets the execution hearing after a failure to appear. This replaced the old 120–150 day window on 1 July 2024.
- 150 days — the period from judgment in which surrendering the principal limits the surety to costs plus 5 percent of the face amount (§ 17-6-72).
Cherokee County court questions
678-493-6431. The clerk’s office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., though the court itself operates around the clock.
Cherokee County commits to seeing everyone arrested within 72 hours to set bail at first appearance, and Georgia law requires 48 hours after a warrantless arrest. The court staffs seven part-time judges specifically to make that happen at nights and weekends.
No. The offenses in O.C.G.A. 17-6-1(a) are bailable only before a Superior Court judge. Magistrate Court has no authority over those bail decisions.
Magistrate Court hears civilian arrest warrant applications. Call the clerk at 678-493-6431 to ask about the process. The clerks cannot give you legal advice.
Court Administration is 678-493-6475. For criminal case records call the Clerk’s Superior Court Criminal line, 678-493-6508.
Because Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over felonies in Georgia, and because certain offenses are bailable only before a Superior Court judge under O.C.G.A. 17-6-1(a).
Court Administration is 678-493-6475. For criminal and traffic case records, the Clerk’s State Court Criminal/Traffic line is 678-493-6550.
Yes. State Court judges allow a Georgia-licensed attorney to waive arraignment by filing a waiver with the State Court Clerk’s Office, with a copy to the judge’s judicial assistant.
Not sure which court your case is in?
Call 770-224-9150 with the citation or the booking name and we will tell you in a minute.