205 fUlton CoUnty SUperior CoUrt // jUDICIAL pROfILEs «
a pretrial conference and sets a deadline for submission of a
proposed consolidated pre trial order.
3. Require dispute resolution: The court does require a good-faith attempt at some form of ADR in advance of trial, typically
before the date of the pretrial conference. The parties are
required to file into the record a memorandum affirming that
this ADR requirement has been met. See Judge Morrison’s
standard scheduling order.
4. Telephone conferencing: Telephone conferences may be
held to address scheduling or other issues as needed. Contact
staff attorney Joshua Saunders at joshua.saunders@fultoncountyga.gov.
5. Special settings: Special settings may be scheduled as the
court deems necessary. Contact staff attorney Joshua Saunders at joshua.saunders@fultoncountyga.gov.
6. Attaching supporting authorities: Counsel are encouraged
to cite to supporting authorities in their briefs. The court
conducts most of its research online, so there is little need to
attach paper copies of reported cases.
7. Letter briefs: Formal filings are much preferred over letter
briefs.
8. Filings on computer disk: Judge Morrison encourages attorneys to utilize state court’s e-file system.
9. Voir dire: A schedule and time limits for conducting vior dire
will be established on a case-by-cases basis.
10. Court hours/breaks: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through
Friday.
11. Available audio-visual equipment: Courtroom 2-F is
equipped with a flat screen television and DVD player. Counsel
should test in advance the compatibility of any disks or computer drives to be played. A pull-down white screen is also
available but counsel must provide their own projector.
12. Using audio-visual equipment: Counsel may request access
to the courtroom to set up and become familiar with the AV
equipment in advance of trial. Contact judicial assistant Chan-dra Jordan at chandra.jordan@fultoncountyga.gov.
13. Trial exhibits: The court encourages counsel to number
exhibits in advance and confer with one another to establish if
admissibility can be agreed to.
14. Courtroom decorum: Be polite and professional.
15. Do you have special procedures regarding jury charges?
Judge Morrison utilizes the pattern jury instructions as published by the Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia.
We are currently utilizing the 2013 edition that can be found
online. Please cite to the standard pattern charges by number
when submitting proposed charges. Counsel should submit
requested charges on all anticipated issues at the start of trial
(i.e., the morning the trial starts). If additional issues arise during the trial, additional charges may be requested up to and
at the charge conference. Before the charge conference takes
place, opposing counsel should confer with one another to
determine if they can agree on charge specific requests. Judge
Morrison requires that a courtesy copy in Word format of all requested charges be emailed to staff attorney Joshua Saunders
at joshua.saunders@fultoncountyga.gov.
it to the jury. If there is a concern that an exhibit may not be
admitted at trial, then a lawyer should not use it in opening
statements.
14. Courtroom decorum: Judge Edlein expects that lawyers
will be professional at all times.
15. Do you have special procedures regarding jury charges?
If so what are they? Jury charges should be submitted to
Michael D’Antignac, staff attorney for Judge Edlein, via email
Michael.dantignac@fultoncountyga.gov. Judge Edlein gives
the jury a written copy of the charge in the jury room. In most
civil cases, Judge Edlein charges the jury prior to closing arguments.
16. Do you require submission of requests to charge on issues
governed by a pattern charge: No.
17. Resolving pretrial issues prior to striking jury a) Criminal:
generally, evidentiary motions are heard just before trial.
b) Civil: All pretrial issues must be resolved prior to striking a
jury. Lawyers should discuss with one another any motions
in limine prior to trial and advise the court which issues are in
dispute. Many issues raised in motions in limine can be agreed
to by all parties.
18. What constitutes good cause for: a) Granting continuances:
b) Extending discovery: The parties must have shown an effort
to complete discovery by the original deadlines.
19. Order preparations: In default cases, parties should always
prepare orders. Usually parties should not submit proposed
orders unless specifically requested by the court.
20. Suggestions/admonitions for counsel: Try to work together
to resolve discovery issues. Be reasonable. Talk to each other
before bringing the court into the dispute. Be prepared.
21. Irritating lawyer conduct: Not having a true good-faith effort to resolve discovery disputes. Speaking objections at trial.
Trial taking longer than announced: this disrupts the court’s
schedule for other cases.
judge jane Morrison
phone: 404-613-4311
Email: jane.morrison@
fultoncountyga.gov
College: Boston University,1987
Law school: Northeastern
University School of Law, 1994
Born: 1964, Maine
previous Experience: Appointed
Atlanta municipal judge, 2000;
Atlanta pro hac vice; Fulton County
magistrate judge; assistant solicitor for cities of Sandy Springs
and Johns Creek; private practice 2000-12.
policies, procedures and Recommendations:
1. Division designation: Division E.
2. Pretrial conferences and pretrial orders: Judge Morrison’s
standard Scheduling Order for civil cases is available online
on the Fulton County State court website: www.fultonstate.
org/ judge_morrison.php. The scheduling order provides for
