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ANF: Cobb Superior Court clerk under investigation wins primary
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The clerk of Cobb County’s Superior Court – who is currently under investigation by the Georgia Attorney General’s office – won Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
Connie Taylor defeated bids from Brunessa Elizabeth Drayton, Carole Melton and Nicholas Simpson.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office is reviewing the findings of a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) probe into Taylor. The GBI opened an investigation into Taylor in late 2022 at the request of a Cobb County Superior Court judge.
The GBI investigation was opened after an employee of the clerk’s office, Maya Curry, alleged Taylor ordered her to destroy records related to Taylor’s retention of passport application fees. In Curry’s words, Taylor commanded her “to Donald Trump this thing.”
ANF: Court clerk allegedly told worker to destroy passport fee documentation referenced in open records request
The GBI opened an investigation into Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor in late 2022 at the request of a Cobb County Superior Court judge.
WSB: Metro court clerk accused of ordering employee to delete public files tied to passport fees and collecting $84,000 in shipping fees she said was a mistake
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into a clerk for the Cobb County Superior Court, who is accused of ordering an employee to delete public files related to passport fee expenses.
Connie Taylor has served as the Cobb County Superior Court Clerk for two years. Now she is at the center of a whistleblower complaint.
The complaint sent to the Cobb Board of Commissioners accuses Taylor of ordering her employee to delete passport fee records after the office received an open records request.
According to the complaint, Taylor said she wasn’t obligated to provide the information because the passport fee money belonged to her and stated that they would get rid of records responsive to the request and said, “We are just going to Donald Trump this thing.”
Taylor is accused of collecting $84,000 in passport shipping fees that she said was a mistake due to a system error. Taylor offered to refund the money back to the county but has yet to do so.
ANF: Cobb Superior Court Clerk pocketed over $400,000 in passport processing fees on top of her salary over two years
BEHIND THE INVESTIGATION: Court clerks are legally raking in the cash. But that may soon change. Rachel Polansky takes you behind the investigation.
Cobb Voice: Chief Judge Declares Judicial Emergency Due To Failures by Cobb County Superior Court Clerk’s Office
On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, Cobb County’s Chief Judge A. Gregory Poole of the Cobb Judicial Circuit declared a Notice of Judicial Emergency due to “significant disruptions” in Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor’s office. The notice claims that the disruptions are because of the implementation of a new case management system (CMS) that began in June 2024.
According to a source within a law office that deals with the Cobb County Superior Court regularly, the disruptions in the Superior Court Clerk’s office started long before the integration of a new CMS. Lawyers and clients have seen a more than 60-day delay on court filings out of Cobb County since, at least, December of 2023, when Cobb County Judge Robert D. Leonard II posted the filing backlog on Facebook urging lawyers to file paperwork directly with his office.
ANF: ‘Not doing their job’ | Cobb Court Judicial Emergency Declared
Cobb County’s highest judge issued a scathing order Wednesday declaring a state of judicial emergency over a series of software issues plaguing the Superior Court’s office.
Chief Judge Gregory Poole declared the emergency because of “serious issues” in the Cobb County Superior Court Clerk’s Office. The issues revolve around a broken computer system used to keep track of pending criminal cases.
Poole’s order puts the blame on the Superior Court clerk and a software vender who failed to properly integrate court records into a new system. So far, only felony criminal cases seem to be affected.
Poole found the issues could “impact or have the potential to impact due process and other constitutional rights of litigants,” the county said.
MDJ: Series of Ineptitudes': Clerk Accused of Causing Court Breakdown - July 16, 2024
Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor’s unexpected switch from the long-used CRIS system to a new database called ICON has caused significant disruptions. Court notices weren’t delivered, leading to unprecedented no-shows and days when electronic court filings were impossible. Local attorneys, including Justin O’Dell, were caught off guard, and PeachCourt, the e-filing system, was not informed of the change, exacerbating the issue. Chief Judge Greg Poole noted that this mismanagement will likely cause a backlog of cases.
Taylor’s tenure since 2020 has been marred by controversy, including allegations of mishandling passport fees, ordering record destructions, and failing to address court record backlogs. Despite these issues, she won the recent primary with 53% of the vote. She will face Republican Deborah Dance in the upcoming election.
11ALIVE: Clerk facing backlash for filing backlog in Cobb County
Some Cobb County community members are calling for Connie Taylor to resign, claiming there is a nearly three-month backlog on online court filings.
News Archives
MDJ Series of Ineptitudes’: Clerk Accused of Causing Court Breakdown
Marietta Daily Journal | July 16, 2024
MDJ Voter Guide: Cobb Superior Court Clerk
Marietta Daily Journal | Apr 28, 2024
Superior Court Clerk Candidates Highlight Passport Fee/Document Backlog Controversies During Debate
Cobb County Courier | Apr 20, 2024
Cobb Superior Court Clerk Probe Sent to Georgia Attorney General
Marietta Daily Journal | Apr 19, 2024
Cobb Superior Court Clerk Probe Sent to Georgia Attorney General
Marietta Daily Journal | Apr 19, 2024
‘If Nothing Else, Show Up’: Cobb Court Clerk Panned at Debate She Skipped
Marietta Daily Journal | Apr 19, 2024
Legislature Approves Bill Requiring Clerks to Report Passport Fee Collections
Marietta Daily Journal | Mar 23, 2024
No. 8: Chaos in Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office
Marietta Daily Journal | Dec 21, 2023
Two Democrats declare plans to oust Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor
Spotlight South Cobb News | Dec 13, 2023
AROUND TOWN: Councilwoman Calls for Cobb Court Clerk to Resign; Redistricting in Cobb
Marietta Daily Journal | Dec 8, 2023
‘A Total Failure’: Lawyers Blast Cobb Superior Court Clerk for Backlog
Marietta Daily Journal | Dec 6, 2023
AROUND TOWN: ‘You’re not here to enrich yourself’: Cobb Superior Court clerk gets a challenger
Marietta Daily Journal | Sep 26, 2023
OPINION: Cobb court clerk’s side hustle and keeping the truth at bay
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | November 30, 2022
GBI investigating Cobb Superior Court clerk after whistleblower complaint
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | November 22, 2022
Metro court clerk accused of ordering employee to delete public files tied to passport fees
95.5 WSB Radio | November 22, 2022
Cobb Superior Court Clerk cancels vote on passport fee repayment amid scrutiny
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | November 18, 2022
Whistleblower: Cobb clerk ordered employee to delete passport records
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | November 18, 2022
UPDATE: ‘Donald Trump this thing’: Cobb Superior Court clerk accused of ordering passport fee record destruction
Marietta Daily Journal | November 18, 2022
AROUND TOWN: ‘That’s just outrageous’: Cobb court clerk pocketing fees raises concerns
Marietta Daily Journal | November 18, 2022
Improper passport fee collections due to system ‘error,’ Cobb Superior Court clerk says
Marietta Daily Journal | November 16, 2022
Cobb Superior Court clerk to return $84K in passport fees to county
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | November 11, 2022
Cobb Superior Court Clerk to refund county for passport fee proceeds
Marietta Daily Journal | November 11, 2022
In Cobb, $425K in passport fees enrich Superior Court clerk
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | November 4, 2022
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