Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Melton to step down
Litigation Reports
Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton announced Friday that he is stepping down on July 1.
Melton said in a statement that he doesn’t yet know what he’ll do next, but that he is exploring opportunities “for the next season of life that will allow me to best serve our legal community and my extended family.”
Melton, 54, was appointed to the state’s highest court in 2005 by former Gov. Sonny Perdue. He became chief justice in 2018.
He is leaving in the middle of his judicial term, and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will appoint a replacement.
Melton is currently the only African American serving on the Georgia Supreme Court. In recent months, Melton has grappled with the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on state courts. He has been renewing a declaration of judicial emergency every 30 days that limits what court cases can be conducted in person, leading to a backlog of cases.
Melton’s statement said the court “is well-positioned to continue the high calling that has clearly been set before us. I have such a peace and confidence that justice will continue to be served.”
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The premium processing fee will increase to $1,410, a 14.92 percent increase (after rounding) from the current fee of $1,225. This increase, which is done in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, represents the percentage change in inflation since the fee was last increased in 2010 based on the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers.
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Premium processing is an optional service that is currently authorized for certain petitioners filing Forms I-129 or I-140. The system allows petitioners to request 15-day processing of certain employment-based immigration benefit requests if they pay an extra fee. The premium processing fee is paid in addition to the base filing fee and any other applicable fees, which cannot be waived.