--- title: "Bonnie Chessher Oliver | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bonnie-chessher-oliver" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-09-06" --- # Bonnie Chessher Oliver Dawson County Superior Court ยท Judge ## Profile - Court: Dawson County Superior Court - State: Georgia - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - On September 27, 1999, Governor Roy Barnes appointed her Judge of the Superior Courts of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit, which included Hall County and Dawson County - In June 1998, after having practiced law for 17 years, Governor Zell Miller appointed her as Judge of the State Court of Hall County. - Zell Miller as Judge of the State Court of Hall County Appointed Sept - Roy Barnes as Judge of the Superior Courts of the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Former Administrative Judge of the 9th Judicial District of Georgia - Superior Court Judge for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit of Georgia, presiding over the Parental Accountability Court in Hall County - Judge Bonnie Chessher Oliver is a native Atlantan and attended Shorter College in Rome, Georgia on an academic scholarship - Judge for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Superior Court, which includes Hall and Dawson counties ### Education - Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law โ€” J.D. (1981) ### Additional information - Judge Oliver is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia and served as an elected Board of Governors representative for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit from 1994 to 2002. - 27, 1999 by Gov. - Judge Oliver obtained her legal education at the Walter F. - Before entering private practice, Judge Oliver was general counsel for a private non-profit organization. - Over the next 13 years, Judge Oliver had a general trial practice in Gainesville, Georgia with an emphasis on personal injury litigation. - Former Chairman of the General Practice and Trial Section of the State Bar and is currently on the Executive Board. - Judge Oliver is the immediate past Administrative Judge of the 9th Judicial District of Georgia and served as a member of the Judicial Council of Georgia. - Judge Oliver served as a member of the Investigative Panel of the State Bar for four years, investigating lawyers for ethical violations. - She currently is on the Council of Superior Court Judges (CSCJ), Bench and Bar Committee, Legislation Committee; and Mandatory Continuing Judicial Education Committee. - Judge Oliver is current President of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education. - Born and raised in Atlanta, Judge Oliver has been recognized for her judicial leadership, community service, and contributions to legal education and ethics in Georgia ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### electronic devices and recording Scope: statewide Georgia's class-specific Uniform Court Rules govern electronic devices and recording in state trial courts. Before using recording, photography, livestreaming, or similar courtroom technology, confirm the governing rule and the assigned court's procedure. Evidence excerpt: Uniform Superior, Juvenile, Magistrate, Municipal and Probate Court Rules [Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules](https://www.gasupreme.us/rules/amendments-to-rules) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording devices and courtroom access Scope: statewide For Georgia Superior Court proceedings, statewide Rule 22 governs recording devices and courtroom recording; counsel should confirm judge approval and courtroom conditions before using recording, photographic, or comparable electronic presentation equipment. Evidence excerpt: The new version will take effect on May 1, 2018. [Supreme Court of Georgia, New Rule 22 approved for use of recording devices in courtrooms](https://www.gasupreme.us/new-rule-22/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58af0240ce9168f520c4dd84/) - [Official roster](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58af0240ce9168f520c4dd84/) - [Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules](https://www.gasupreme.us/rules/amendments-to-rules) - [Supreme Court of Georgia, New Rule 22 approved for use of recording devices in courtrooms](https://www.gasupreme.us/new-rule-22/) - [Judicial Council of Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster](https://georgiacourts.knack.com/gcd2/#directory-entries/entry-details/58af0240ce9168f520c4dd84/) - [Official court biography โ€” Bonnie Chessher Oliver](https://www.nejcga.gov/superior/directory-listing/bonnie-chessher-oliver) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bonnie-chessher-oliver", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bonnie-chessher-oliver", "name": "Bonnie Chessher Oliver | KnowJudges", "description": "Bonnie Chessher Oliver, Dawson County Superior Court. 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Collected April 9, 2026 compilation; amendments effective November 5, 2026 are future on this collection date and are not applied. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://assets.georgiacourts.gov/4/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/14025702/UNIFORM-SUPERIOR-COURT-RULES-2026_04_09.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.