It was another wonderful Friday meeting filled with food, fellowship, and a presentation by Chief Judge Tammy Stokes. President Laura Lane McKinnon thanked all the members who were able to volunteer at PACK the previous week. Hundreds of bags of food were packed for area children. Once all business items were discussed, she introduced our speaker for the day, Chief Judge Tammy Stokes, who works in Recorder's Court.
Judge Stokes has served on the bench for almost 17 years and has seen people at their best and worst. She hopes everyone who appears before her feels heard and seen. She also wants people to feel like they have been treated with dignity and treated fairly. There are only three Recorder Courts in Georgia. It is the foundation of the criminal justice system in Savannah. The court presides over an average of 50,000 cases per year. They primarily see traffic violations (tickets, DUI, hand free violations, etc) but also hear misdemeanors, felony preliminary hearings, and arraignments. There are two things that the judges do in Recorder's Court that most people aren't aware of 1. They are on duty 24/7. 2. Sign warrants every Saturday at 4:00. Due to Covid, everyone is required to wear a mask in the courthouse and anyone charged with a misdemeanor will not be sent to jail. Judge Stokes concluded by saying if you appear in Recorder's Court, make a request if you have one because you never know, it might be granted!