Mark Pettitt
Clerk of Superior & State Court
225 Green Street, SE
P.O. Box 1275 (30503-1336)
Gainesville, GA 30501
Office: 770-531-7025
www.hallclerk.com

Role of the Clerk

The Clerk of Superior Court is one of four Constitutional Officers in each county, a position established by the Georgia Constitution of 1798. As a Constitutional Officer, the Clerk is elected and serves a key role in county government. The Clerk is responsible for safeguarding the integrity of public records and serves as the fiduciary officer of the Court.

The Clerk's duties include receiving, managing, and processing court documents, collecting and disbursing court fees, fines, and costs, and ensuring public access to court records. The Clerk also records deeds, mortgages, charters, and commissions for notaries public. Essentially, the Clerk oversees the "business arm" of the local court system, prioritizing the protection of public interests. As the mandated custodian of all county legal documents, the Clerk ensures their proper management and security.

The Clerk of Superior Court serves an important function in maintaining checks and balances within the county government and judicial system. This elected official is directly accountable to the people of the county and is not an employee or appointee of any county commission or judiciary. The Clerk handles citizens’ case files, court records, property deeds, and mortgages, ensuring their protection and integrity.

In addition to serving as the Clerk of Superior Court, the Clerk also acts as the Clerk for the State Court, performing the same duties through local legislation. The Clerk is solely responsible for maintaining the integrity of the records and funds of both courts. Furthermore, the Clerk serves as the Hall County Jury Clerk, overseeing the maintenance of the jury pool (or "box"). This includes ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of juror data, managing the summons process for trial jurors, and organizing the Grand Jury.

Since July 1, 2010, as mandated by HB 346, Georgia Clerks have also overseen the Hall County Board of Equalization, a citizen review panel that evaluates property taxation fairness by the county assessor. In this capacity, the Clerk manages the day-to-day operations of the Board, including maintaining records for tax disputes, overseeing the delivery of notices and decision letters, and ensuring fair and impartial hearings. The Clerk remains the custodian of all records associated with this process.

Term Begin	Clerk of Court	Term End
1817 August	David H. McCouskey	1825 March
1822 July	Joseph B. Reid, DC	1822 December
1826 March	James Law	1836 December
1836 December	E.W. Johnson	1846 February
1846 February	John N. Murray	1848 February
1848 February	William Sitton	1856 June
1856 June	B.F. Sitton, DC	1856 June
1856 July	B.F. Sitton	1856 August
1856 September	J.E. Redwine	1866 May
1866 May	John J. Wayne	1880 March
1875 May	W.S. Picknell, DC	1878 October
1880 March	J.M. Bell, DC	1880 December
1880 April	George Langston	1880 October
1880 November	Winfield S. Picknell	1880 December
1881 January	George C. Clements	1883 December
1883 February	John C. Edmondson	1883 December
1883 April	William B. Smith	1886 April
1885 January	A.R. Smith	1898 October
1898 October	John W. Oslin	1898 December
1899 January	Thomas M. Bell	1904 December
1905 January	W.B. Smith	1910 May
1910 May	H.L. Smith	1910 December
1911 January	J.S. Allen	1913 January
1913 January	C.P. Neese	1914 January
1913 February	R.W. 'Bob' Smith	1952 December
1953 January	W.D. 'Bill' Duncan	1956 December
1957 January	H. Grady Watson	1984 December
1985 January	Dwight S. Wood	2008 December
2009 January	Charles B. Baker	2024 December
2025 January	O. Mark Pettitt