Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor Faces Felony Charges; Arraignment Set for Sept. 2

Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor is set to be arraigned at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, following her indictment on four felony counts by a Cobb County grand jury on July 31. The arraignment will take place before Senior Superior Court Judge David T. Emerson, who was appointed to oversee the case after all Cobb Superior Court judges recused themselves.

Taylor, first elected in 2020, is accused of ordering an employee to destroy records related to passport fees she allegedly collected as personal income. The allegations came after an open records request sought information about the fees. She is being prosecuted by the Office of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.

The day after her indictment, Taylor was booked into the Cobb jail and released on her own recognizance, meaning she agreed to appear in court without posting bail. Taylor remains in her position and continues to receive her $187,000 annual salary, as well as passport fees. She has referred all questions to her attorney, former Governor Roy Barnes.

Office Challenges

This case comes on the heels of prior controversy. In 2023, performance issues in Taylor’s office led the chief judge of the Cobb Judicial Circuit to declare a judicial emergency—a rare measure typically reserved for natural disasters or global pandemics. The emergency was prompted by problems following a botched conversion of the court’s case management system, which caused missed court notices, electronic filing disruptions, and a backlog of cases. Taylor’s office has also experienced high staff turnover during her tenure.

What’s Next

Under Georgia law, when a Superior Court clerk is indicted for a felony, Gov. Brian Kemp must appoint a three-member commission—two Superior Court clerks and a retired judge—to review the charges and recommend whether the official should be suspended without pay until the case is resolved. If convicted of a felony, Taylor would be removed from office. Kemp has not yet announced the appointment of such a commission.