Gwinnett County To Hold 'Night Court' Starting In March

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA—For the first time in its 47-year history, Gwinnett Recorder’s Court will offer evening court sessions beginning in March to better accommodate residents’ schedules, county officials confirmed.

The nighttime sessions will be held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center beginning at 6 p.m. Night court will begin as a monthly offering limited to minor traffic infractions, with plans to expand based upon community response, officials said.

Recorder’s Court currently holds sessions weekday mornings and afternoons, but night court will enable residents to attend court after typical working hours. Often residents must take time off work for court appearances due to minor offenses such as traffic tickets and other code violations.

“By creating a more flexible schedule, we hope to allow Gwinnett residents to resolve citations as conveniently – and with as little overall impact to their life – as possible,” said Recorder’s Court Judge Ramón Alvarado.

In 2020, evening court sessions will take place at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center on Langley Drive, but long-term plans include moving it to the nearby Recorder’s Court building on Stone Mountain Street. “After we get an idea of the demand for nighttime sessions, we can determine funding and plans for expansion,” added Alvarado.

Recorder's Court handles traffic citations written by the Gwinnett County Police Department, Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Department of Public Safety and the Georgia Department of Transportation. Recorder's Court also handles all Gwinnett County code ordinance violations, such as citations written by Gwinnett County Animal Control, Gwinnett County Code Enforcement and the Gwinnett Environmental Health Department.