From Efficiency to Embarrassment: The Downfall of Cobb County’s Court System Under Connie Taylor

What we have unfolding in Cobb County Superior Court is nothing short of a complete disaster, and the one person at the center of this mess is Clerk Connie Taylor. Let’s not sugarcoat it: Taylor’s incompetence and lack of accountability have thrown the entire judicial system in Cobb County into chaos, and it’s the citizens—hardworking, law-abiding citizens—who are suffering because of it.

Now, imagine this: Chief Judge Gregory Poole, a man who’s seen the courts function smoothly for years, is so frustrated with Taylor’s office that he had to declare two judicial emergencies. These are extreme measures meant for real crises—like hurricanes or pandemics. But in Cobb County? This emergency wasn’t triggered by a natural disaster, but by the sheer dysfunction of one person’s office. Taylor’s botched switch to a new case management system, without warning anyone or properly preparing her staff, led to a breakdown so severe that basic court operations ground to a halt. Notices weren’t being sent, people weren’t showing up for court, and attorneys couldn’t file documents. It was an absolute mess, and it’s an embarrassment to Cobb County.

Let’s get real here. Taylor’s office is supposed to be the backbone of the court system. Her job is simple: maintain court records, send out notices, and make sure the system runs smoothly so that justice can be served. But she’s failed at every turn. Under her watch, the Superior Court has become a laughingstock. Lawyers are showing up for trials on the wrong days because they didn’t get proper notice. Defendants aren’t showing up at all because they didn’t even know they were supposed to be in court. And the cherry on top? Taylor hired over 100 employees since taking office but lost 111—many of whom were experienced staff who took decades of institutional knowledge with them. This isn’t just a glitch as some media outlets have reported; it’s a systemic failure caused by poor leadership.

Meanwhile, victims of crime are left vulnerable. The Cobb Sheriff’s Office couldn’t even locate protective orders in Taylor’s broken system. Think about that—people who need protection from stalkers or abusers are left unprotected because the paperwork can’t be found. That’s not just negligence; that’s endangering lives. This is a complete dereliction of duty, and Connie Taylor should be held accountable.

Judge Poole even admitted that Cobb County’s court system was once a model for the entire state—a well-oiled machine. But under Taylor’s watch, it’s become an embarrassment. Poole said it best himself: Cobb County is now an example, but not the kind anyone would want to follow.

And where is Connie Taylor during all this? Nowhere to be found. She won’t even communicate with the public or the media to explain herself. Instead, Judge Poole is left to clean up her mess, meeting weekly with the software vendor that Taylor strong-armed into launching an unfinished system. This is what happens when someone unqualified and unprepared is handed a critical position.

Let’s not forget, Taylor’s not even a lawyer. She doesn’t have the background, the training, or the know-how to understand what’s really at stake here. Yet, she’s running the clerk’s office like it’s a personal fiefdom, demanding loyalty over competence, driving good people away, and putting our justice system on life support.

Here’s the bottom line: Cobb County voters need to wake up. Connie Taylor is up for re-election this November, and it’s time for a change. She’s proven she can’t handle the job. Deborah Dance, her Republican challenger, is a former attorney for Cobb County government—someone who knows the system and can restore order.

Dance points out that the publicized issues with the court system may only be the tip of the iceberg. “It’s what’s beneath the surface that concerns me,” she says. “What’s going on with the real estate division? What’s the title gap? All of us with deeds and those trying to buy a home or refinance need to be concerned.  How secure are our greatest investments?” It’s a great question that Taylor has also failed to answer. When a public official is not transparent, it’s what we don’t know is the iceberg that can sink the Titanic.

Taylor’s incompetence has turned our court system into a dangerous mess, and it’s high time we hold her accountable. Cobb County deserves better than this disastrous mismanagement.

If we want a functioning court system, we need leadership that can actually get the job done, not someone who hides from responsibility while the system crumbles around them. This November, voters have a choice: continue with the chaos, or bring back sanity and competence to the Cobb County Clerk’s Office.

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