2018 Georgia Code
Title 15 - Courts
Chapter 9 - Probate Courts
Article 1 - General Provisions
§ 15-9-1.1. Required training courses; attendance record; expenses

(a) Any individual who is elected, appointed, or becomes a judge of the probate court by operation of law after January 1, 1990, after taking office as judge of the probate court, shall satisfactorily complete a new judge orientation training course prescribed by the Probate Judges Training Council and the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia at the first occasion such course is offered. Such judge shall complete an attendance record of such training issued by the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia and file it with the Probate Judges Training Council.

(b) Each judge of the probate court shall be required to complete additional training prescribed by the Probate Judges Training Council and the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia during each year he or she serves as a judge of the probate court and complete an attendance record of such training issued by the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia and file it with the Probate Judges Training Council.

(c) Any judge who fails to complete the new judge orientation training course as required by subsection (a) of this Code section or to earn the required cumulative annual minimal credit hours of training during any one-year period after the new judge orientation training may be given a six-month administrative extension by the Probate Judges Training Council during which to fulfill this requirement. Individual requests for extensions beyond the initial six-month extension for reasons of disability, hardship, or extenuating circumstance may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the Probate Judges Training Council. Upon failure to earn the required hours within the six-month extension period or additional extension period or periods granted, the Probate Judges Training Council shall promptly notify the Judicial Qualifications Commission which shall recommend to the Supreme Court removal of the probate judge from office unless the Judicial Qualifications Commission finds that the failure was caused by circumstances beyond the control of the probate judge.

(d) All expenses of training authorized or required by this Code section, including any tuition which may be fixed by the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education, shall be paid by the probate judge or probate judge elect taking the training; but the probate judge or probate judge elect shall be reimbursed by the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia to the extent that funds are available to the institute for such purpose; provided, however, that if such funds are not available, each probate judge or probate judge elect shall be reimbursed from county funds by action of the county governing authority.