Cobb County Juvenile Court is an independent juvenile court organized under Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia. The Court is dedicated to serving the residents of Cobb County by hearing all cases involving allegations of dependency of children under the age of eighteen, or unruly conduct, delinquency, or traffic violations concerning children under the age of seventeen found within its jurisdictions. If, after adjudication, a child is found to be in need of treatment, rehabilitation or supervision to safely remain in the community, the court will provide access to high quality, appropriate treatment programs whenever feasible.
The mission of the Cobb County Juvenile Court is to ensure that children, families, and the community are protected in civil and delinquency matters brought before the Court. Children and families are provided guidance and services that will be conducive to rehabilitating, strengthening, and restoring them to become productive members of society. The Court strives to meet this mission by utilizing resources within the community that promote accountability, provide positive alternatives, and reunify families when in the best interest of the child.
Community-based service providers and programs that promote prosocial behaviors and offer character building tools/skillsets may express interest as possible court resources by completing and submitting the form found at the link above.
Judges' Chambers
The Judges of the Cobb County Juvenile Court are appointed to a four year term by the Superior Court Judges. A judge must be at least 30 years of age, a citizen of the state for at least three years, and have practiced law for at least five years.
The judges are required to attend a minimum number of hours of specialized training each year to maintain eligibility for the position. The training is certified by the Council of Juvenile Court Judges of Georgia.
Cases are assigned to the four Judges by the Clerk of Court upon the filing of a Juvenile Complaint. Though there are exceptions, once a child is assigned to a judge, all of that child's subsequent complaints will also be assigned to that judge.
Presiding Judge Jeffrey D. Hamby
Donelle Keaton
Judicial Administrative Specialist
(770) 528-2428
Genie Shaffer
Courtroom Clerk
(770) 528-2255
(770) 528-2576 (Fax)
Judge Jeffrey D. Hamby was born in San Diego, California. After several moves as a child, his family finally settled in Cobb County, Georgia. He attended Cobb County Public Schools, graduating from John McEachern High School. Judge Hamby earned his B.A. degree in Political Science and thereafter, his Juris Doctor degree from the Georgia State University College of Law.
For many years, Judge Hamby practiced law in Cobb County, concentrating in the area of family law and domestic relations. He represented parties in divorce and custody actions, mediated and arbitrated domestic and civil matters, and served the courts as court appointed guardian ad litem.
Judge Hamby was unanimously elected by The Cobb County Superior Court Judges in October of 2012 and he took the Juvenile Court bench on January 1, 2013.
He has a grown son living in Knoxville, TN and he now resides in unincorporated Roswell in East Cobb County with his step-son and his wife, family law attorney, Carrie Hackett.
Judge Wayne E. Grannis
Donelle Keaton
Judicial Administrative Specialist
(770) 528-2428
Nikyia Bell
Courtroom Clerk
(770) 528-2231
(770) 528-2576 (Fax)
Judge Wayne E. Grannis was appointed to the Cobb County Juvenile Court bench by the Superior Court Judges in August of 2018. Grannis has over 24 years of experience in the Juvenile Court system. In 1998, Grannis started as a Juvenile Probation Officer and then Lead Investigator, where upon completion of his Juris Doctorate, he became a staff attorney to the Chief Judge of Fulton County Juvenile Court.
He later represented dependent children as a child advocate attorney for 3 years. From 2008-2017, Grannis served as Assistant District Attorney, Senior Assistant District Attorney, and Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney for the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. As Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney, he was the Director of the Juvenile Unit where he supervised a staff of eleven employees. In 2017, Grannis joined the Cobb County District Attorney’s office as a supervising attorney of the Juvenile Unit.
Grannis received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia in 1989, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Golden Key National Honor Society. Grannis attended Georgia State University where he graduated Cum Laude, earning his J.D. in 2003.
Judge Grannis resides in Powder Springs, Georgia with his wife and two sons.
Judge Amber N. Patterson
Star Simmons
Judicial Administrative Specialist
(770) 528-2224
Cristal Burkhardt
Courtroom Clerk
(770) 528-2259
(770) 528-2232 (Fax)
Judge Amber Patterson joined the Cobb County Juvenile Court Bench in 2016. Prior to her appointment, she served in Fulton County as a Guardian ad Litem in dependency hearings and Superior Court custody cases, as a legal extern with the CASA Program, as a staff attorney for the Chief Judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court, as a child advocate attorney in the Fulton County Juvenile Court, and as a SAAG Associate for the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services. Patterson also served as a Juvenile Court and Superior Court Guardian ad Litem Attorney in Cobb County and was the designated Guardian ad Litem Attorney for the Cobb County Family Dependency Treatment Court.
Throughout the years, she has received hundreds of hours of training in child advocacy. She is a frequent speaker on juvenile law and child advocacy in various schools, organizations, continuing legal education courses, and foster parent associations. She has served as Presiding Judge of the Cobb County Juvenile Court, has served on the Georgia Supreme Court’s Committee on Improving Community Access to Legal Resources, and as the elected district representative for the Council of Juvenile Court Judges.
Patterson also currently serves as chair of the Federal CAPTA Children’s Justice Act Taskforce for Georgia, and chair for the Georgia Supreme Court’s Justice for Children Court Improvement Initiative Program. She is a member of the executive, dependency, legislative, and educational certification committees for the Council of Juvenile Court Judges. Patterson also serves on the training committee for the Council of Accountability Court Judges. Additionally, she presides over Cobb County’s Juvenile Drug Court and serves on the board of directors for the Cobb County Boys and Girls Club.
Patterson resides in Marietta with her husband and two children.
Judge Kareem West
Star Simmons
Judicial Administrative Specialist
(770) 528-2224
Samantha Huber
Courtroom Clerk
(770) 528-2263
(770) 528-2232 (Fax)
Kareem West was appointed to the Cobb County Juvenile Court Bench by the Superior Court Judges on October 1, 2018. Prior to his appointment, Kareem spent five years at West Law Services LLC, where he practiced primarily criminal law, real estate law, and juvenile law.
Before opening West Law Services, LLC in 2013, Kareem served as an Assistant District Attorney in Cobb County for four years, where he litigated Criminal cases for the State of Georgia. From 2005-2008, he served as an Assistant Solicitor General in the Richmond County Solicitor General’s Office in Augusta, Georgia. In the year 2000, Kareem received two consecutive gubernatorial appointment to the State of Mississippi Parole Board, where he served through November 2005.
Kareem graduated with a B.S. in Education from Southern University and then went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School. He is a member of both the Cobb Bar Association as well as the State Bar of Georgia. Kareem resides in Cobb County with his wife and daughter.
Cobb County Juvenile Court Credit Card Policy
We accept Visa and MasterCard only. All credit cards must be presented in person with a photo ID by the authorized user. We do not accept debit cards, and all debit cards will be run as a credit card.
Credit cards may only be used for the payment of:
- Probation fees
- Attorney fees
- Mediation fees
- Diversion fees
- Traffic fines
Support Agencies
Circuit Defenders Office
Child Advocate Attorneys are assigned to the Court by the Cobb County Circuit Defenders Office to represent children who are either status offenders or have delinquent charges. They may also represent a party in a child dependency case or may act as the guardian ad litem for a child in such cases. Child Advocate Attorneys are only assigned if the party they are to represent is indigent pursuant to Georgia Code Section 15-11-30.
| Name | Office | Telephone |
|---|---|---|
| Chad Smith - Administrative Coordinator | Circuit Defenders | (770) 528-3378 |
Other additional resources:
Georgia Public Defense Council - Information about attorneys for indigent persons.
Assistant District Attorneys
Three Assistant District Attorneys are appointed by Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady to prosecute delinquency and CHINS cases in the Juvenile Court.
The Trial Investigator is responsible for investigating cases, coordinating law enforcement activities, and preparing witnesses and victims for hearings associated with a case.
The Victim-Witness Coordinator assists victims and state's witnesses. The Coordinator helps prepare witnesses to present their case in court, assures that they have proper documentation to establish a restitution claim, and keeps them informed about upcoming court hearings.
The D.A. Assistant is responsible for support of the Assistant District Attorneys.
| Charlotte Lomnicki | Senior, Assistant District Attorney | (770) 528-2409 |
| Jana Meeks | Assistant District Attorney | (770) 528-3065 |
| Ashley Stills | Assistant District Attorney | (770) 528-3044 |
| Christie Ledford | Trial Investigator | (770) 528-2253 |
| Ellyn Mills | Victim Witness | (770) 528-2252 |
| Bonnie McCravy | Administrative Assistant | (770) 528-2588 |
Other additional resources:
Georgia Public Defense Council - Information about attorneys for indigent persons.
Child Support Enforcement Information
Sheriff's Office
Contact Number: (770) 528-2233
Sheriff Craig Owens assigns deputies to secure the Cobb County Juvenile Court and to serve the Court's papers. The mission of the Deputies is to provide to security for the court, screen personnel entering the court, transport detainees to and from the court, oversee the confinement facility within the court building, and monitor security devices throughout the court to ensure security for court personnel and the public. The Sheriff also assigns Bailiffs to assist the judges in the efficient operation of the court processes.
Upon entering the Court building you will be requires to pass through a metal detector and your handbags and luggage will be passed through an x-ray machine. Please do not attempt to bring weapons or contraband into the building.