Federal cases in the Northern District of Georgia

The Northern District of Georgia covers 46 counties in north Georgia, including Atlanta. It has four divisions: Atlanta, Gainesville, Rome and Newnan. Here is where the court sits, who prosecutes and defends cases there, and where its rules are published.

Where does the court sit?

The district has four divisions, and court is held at Atlanta, Gainesville, Rome and Newnan (28 U.S.C. § 90(a)). The court's site lists a courthouse in each:

• Atlanta Division

  Richard B. Russell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 75 Ted Turner Drive SW. Covers Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton and Rockdale counties.

• Gainesville Division

  Sidney O. Smith Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 121 Spring Street SE. Covers Hall, Forsyth, Barrow, Jackson and 12 other counties in northeast Georgia.

• Rome Division

  Harold L. Murphy Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 600 East First Street. Covers Floyd, Bartow, Paulding, Whitfield and seven other counties in northwest Georgia.

• Newnan Division

  Lewis R. Morgan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 18 Greenville Street. Covers Carroll, Coweta, Fayette, Haralson, Heard, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding and Troup counties.

Under the court's Local Criminal Rule 18.1, a criminal case is filed in the division where venue lies, and a defendant is ordinarily tried in the division where the offense is alleged to have been committed.

United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Which appeals court covers it?

Appeals from this court go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (28 U.S.C. §§ 41, 1294(1)). Its decisions are binding on the federal judges in this district, so its precedent governs cases here (uscourts.gov, About the U.S. Courts of Appeals).

Who prosecutes and who defends?

Federal prosecutors here work for the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Anyone charged with a federal crime who can’t afford a lawyer can ask the court to appoint one (18 U.S.C. § 3006A). Here, appointed lawyers come from the Federal Defender Program, Inc., an independent nonprofit defender organization, or from a panel of private lawyers the court approves.

Where are the local rules and sentencing procedures?

Every federal court follows the national rules, such as the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, plus its own local rules. This court publishes them on its local rules page.

Local Criminal Rule 32.1 covers the presentence report: the probation officer's sentencing recommendation is not shared with either side, and copies given to the Bureau of Prisons remain confidential court documents. The local rules set no separate deadlines, so the federal rule applies: the report goes to the defense at least 35 days before sentencing, and objections are due within 14 days (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(e)(2), (f)).

“the probation officer's sentencing recommendation, if any, provided to the Court with the presentence report, will not be disclosed to the defendant, defendant's counsel, or to the attorney for the government.”

How does a lawyer from outside the district appear here?

In many federal courts, a lawyer who isn’t a member of the court’s bar must ask the judge for permission to appear in a specific case (often called pro hac vice admission), and many courts also require a lawyer who is a member of their bar to sponsor the request or appear alongside. The judge decides whether to allow it. In this court, the rule is LR 83.1(B), applied in criminal cases by LCrR 57.1(B).

“may apply in writing for permission to appear pro hac vice in a particular case”

Which federal prisons are in this district?

Bureau of Prisons facility in this district (from bop.gov; it is in Fulton County, which 28 U.S.C. § 90(a) places in the Atlanta Division):

• FCI Atlanta

  Low security, with a detention center. 601 McDonough Boulevard SE, Atlanta.

A prison being in this district doesn’t mean someone sentenced here will go there. The Bureau of Prisons decides where each person serves their sentence (18 U.S.C. § 3621(b)).

What families should know about federal cases in this district

• The first hearing comes fast. After an arrest, the person goes before a magistrate judge without unnecessary delay for an initial appearance (Fed. R. Crim. P. 5(a)). The judge decides whether they stay in custody while the case goes on (18 U.S.C. § 3142).
• Most felony cases start with an indictment. A grand jury decides in private whether to approve the charges (Fed. R. Crim. P. 6, 7).
• The presentence report matters. A federal probation officer writes a report on the offense and the person’s life before sentencing, and the defense can object to mistakes in it (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(c)–(f)). Check this court’s schedule above.
• The judge decides the sentence. The judge must consider the Sentencing Guidelines and the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), including the person’s history and background. Families can write letters; there is no limit on the background information a judge may consider (18 U.S.C. § 3661).
• The appeal clock is short. A defendant’s notice of appeal is usually due within 14 days after the judgment is entered (Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)).
• Prison phones and email are monitored. Don’t discuss the case on them (28 C.F.R. § 540.102).

More questions families ask →

Sources

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
• N.D. Ga. court locations
• 28 U.S.C. § 90
• N.D. Ga. Local Rules
• N.D. Ga. Civil Local Rules (updated Aug. 10, 2026 PDF)
• N.D. Ga. Criminal Local Rules (updated Apr. 2, 2024 PDF)
• 28 U.S.C. § 41 (circuits)
• uscourts.gov: About the U.S. Courts of Appeals
• USAO Northern District of Georgia
• Federal Defender Program, Inc. (Northern Georgia)
• FCI Atlanta (bop.gov)
• BOP locations list

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