Georgia Court of Appeals to Hold Oral Arguments in Albany

ALBANY, Ga. – According to a media release sent out by Albany State University, The Court of Appeals of Georgia continues its mission of community outreach this spring with offsite oral arguments in Albany. This session will be held in the auditorium of the Billy C. Black Building at Albany State University on May 7, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.

Judge Kenneth Hodges, a proud Albany native, will preside over oral arguments, and he will be joined by Presiding Judge Anne Elizabeth Barnes and Judge Todd Markle.

At the commencement of the session, attorneys will be sworn in to practice before the Court.

“My colleagues and I recognize the value of making the judiciary more accessible,” said Judge Hodges. “We are continuing to hold oral argument sessions at venues across the state so that attorneys, students, and members of the public can observe firsthand the judicial process at the appellate level.” The Court will also recognize Law Day 2026, an annual event celebrating the rule of law and cultivating a deeper understanding of the legal system. This year’s theme is “The Rule of Law and the American Dream.”

The panel will hear three oral arguments during the session. The first case is a family law matter involving a grandparent’s visitation rights. Second on the calendar is a personal injury case stemming from an altercation at a home. Lastly, the judges will hear a criminal case involving whether time spent in pretrial home confinement, under electronic monitoring, may be credited toward a defendant’s sentence.

This event is open to the public, and we anticipate it will be attended by local members of the Bar and other members of the public, including students and professors from Albany State University. The Court of Appeals is Georgia’s intermediate appellate court, with fifteen judges who serve in panels of three. Oral arguments are not heard in all cases. The parties must ask to be heard, and the Court only grants about a third of the requests.

Briefs of the cases to be heard can be found on our website at. www.gaappeals.gov