David P. Darden at a glance
- Current role
- Chief Judge
- Current assignment
- Austell Municipal Court
- Jurisdiction
- Georgia · State
- Judicial service
- Active
David P. Darden
Chief Judge · Austell Municipal Court
Judicial assignments
- Cobb Judicial CircuitSenior Judge — circuit affiliation; court class unconfirmed
The official Senior Judges directory lists this circuit affiliation. A specific current assignment is not established. Senior judge available for assignment; this does not establish a current primary assignment.
Source checked October 15, 2026. Roster source 1 · Roster source 2
These published assignments do not certify a complete bench.
Biography
Professional career
- He also held the role of city attorney for Austell and general counsel for the Cobb County Board of Ethics
Education
- He graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1980 and later earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1983
Additional information
- Cobb County State Court Judge — Elected in 2003, served until April 30, 2021 held the role of Chief Judge and held leadership roles including president of the Council of State Court Judges, chairman of the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education, and board member of the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism Twice named Judge of the Year and Boss of the Year.
- In 2013, received the Doremus-Lawrence Award, the State Court Council’s highest honor
- Before joining the bench, Darden practiced law for 18 years, including with Smith, Eubanks, Smith & Darden and Talley & Darden
- After retiring from the judiciary, Darden continues as Judge David P. Darden, Darden Mediation
- Retired Georgia state court judge and registered mediator with over 40 years of legal experience, including more than 18 years serving on the State Court of Cobb County and as Judge of the Municipal Court of Austell
- handling personal injury, complex commercial disputes, real estate, and government liability cases.
- focusing on personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence cases.
- His mediation approach emphasizes listening, building trust, and offering perspective without coercion, drawing on his judicial experience to help parties assess risks and reach settlements
- David P. Darden is a native of Marietta, Georgia.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
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.
Uniform Superior, Juvenile, Magistrate, Municipal and Probate Court RulesSupreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Uniform Municipal Court Rules, December 31, 2025
Austell Municipal Court
Municipal Court proceedings, including expressly stated civil/criminal limitations. 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 ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Sources
Identity source checked August 25, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 26, 2026.
Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Supreme Court of Georgia, court orders amending Uniform Trial Court Rules ↗Judicial Council of Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 25, 2026
View Judicial Council of Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts official judicial roster ↗