Georgia Court of Appeals

Hill was the first chief judge of the court; he received the position largely due to age and seniority (over Russell's objections).

The Legislature also approved a statute to create an additional three-judge division of the Court of Appeals, providing that all appeals of criminal cases be heard in one division, and the remaining civil cases be divided up so as to equalize their work.

In 1996, Governor Zell Miller submitted a bill to increase the court's size to thirteen judges.

The bill failed, but the Legislature did approve another act to add a tenth judge.

The court grew again in 1999 when Governor Roy Barnes signed a bill which increased the number of judges to twelve.

The 1996 statute that increased the number of judges to ten also changed the process by which cases would be decided in the event of a dissent.

If one of the three judges concurred specially (agreed with the result but not the reasoning), the ruling became "physical precedent only" – that is, it decided that particular case but could only be cited as persuasive authority, not as binding authority in subsequent cases.

In other words, three-judge cases with a dissent or special concurrence published after August 1, 2020, are now binding authority.

The court no longer issues nine-judge cases; appeals are decided by either three judges or all fifteen.

The other judges are assigned to the five panels annually, and serve together for three full terms of court.