The Judicial Council of Georgia Ad Hoc Committee on ARPA Funding has awarded grants totaling $20,712,972 to be distributed among 39 judicial circuits that applied for CY 2024 – 2025 funding. The Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit (LMJC), which includes Chattooga County, received $1,702,543, the largest amount awarded by the committee.

The funds will be used to upgrade the audio and video systems in LMJC courtrooms to help address the current case backlog. Superior Court Judge Chris Arnt says remote hearings also save counties money. “We use video hearings all the time, even though it’s more work for us as judges to do it that way, that saves the county thousands upon thousands of dollars not having to go to all of the prisons all over the state and bring folks back here for us to have a hearing,” said Arnt.

Approved grant expenses in this category include evidence presentation tools, assisted listening systems, video conferencing and remote appearance systems, improved court reporting interfaces, and general audio and video improvements aimed at assisting the circuits in reducing their backlog of serious violent felony cases.