Gwinnett County v. Yates

Hunt, Chief Justice.

This case presents the issue of whether the Clerk of the Gwinnett County Superior Court is subject to the Gwinnett County Merit System. We hold that he is not.

In 1969, pursuant to constitutional authorization, the General Assembly adopted legislation creating the Gwinnett County Merit System. In December 1992, Gary Yates, Clerk of the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, discharged a deputy clerk. The deputy clerk filed an appeal with the Merit Board, and an attorney from the Gwinnett County law department was appointed to represent Yates in that appeal. Yates requested that…