About State Court
A Court That Serves the People
The State Court of Effingham County handles a broad range of legal matters that affect residents and businesses across the county. Like all State Courts in Georgia, it has jurisdiction over:
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- Misdemeanor offenses, including DUI and traffic violations
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- Civil cases of virtually any dollar amount (unless reserved for Superior Court)
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- Landlord-tenant disputes, contract claims, and other matters involving personal property
State Courts also have authority to:
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- Conduct preliminary hearings
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- Issue search and arrest warrants
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- Enforce court orders through fines or incarceration
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- Review decisions from lower courts when authorized by law
In Effingham County, the State Court serves as an appellate court for many decisions from the Magistrate Court and the Municipal Courts of Rincon, Springfield, and Guyton. Because it is a court of record, many cases from these courts may also be removed to State Court for a jury trial.
The Georgia Supreme Court has emphasized the critical importance of State Courts, calling them the “people’s courts” because they are often a citizen’s first—and sometimes only—serious interaction with the judicial system:
“Handling these cases in the state courts is an important, often monumental, task... The impact of the state courts on the daily lives of Georgia citizens is as great, if not greater, than our appellate courts.”
— Supreme Court of Georgia, 1995
Leadership Focused on Fairness and Access
Presiding over the State Court of Effingham County is The Honorable Melissa M. Calhoun, who brings more than 35 years of legal experience and a deep commitment to public service. Her distinguished career includes work in both civil and criminal litigation across multiple states, and she is currently licensed to practice law in Georgia.
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Judge Calhoun believes that court should be a place of respect, fairness, and education—not fear. She is dedicated to ensuring that every individual who enters her courtroom, whether as a litigant, juror, witness, or spectator, is treated with dignity and has a clear understanding of the legal process.
Under her leadership, the State Court is focused not only on upholding the law, but also on building trust between the judicial system and the community it serves.
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Additional Information
Judicial Elections: Judges of State Court are elected in non-partisan, countywide elections to four-year terms. Candidates must be at least 25 years old, have practiced law for a minimum of seven years, and have resided in the county for at least three years.
Solicitor of State Court: The prosecutor for the court is Spencer Tyson.