Vision and Control: How Fulton County Scaled AI Across Courts
Organization Profile
- Tyler Client Since: 2013
- Population: 1.1 million
- Location: Fulton County, Georgia
- Tyler Products/Solutions Used: Document Automation, Enterprise Justice, eFile & Serve, Enterprise Corrections, Enterprise Assessment & Tax, Enterprise Records Management, Enterprise ERP, Tyler Payments
- Tyler Excellence Award Category: Operational Efficiency
“It cannot be business as usual with growing caseloads and shrinking resources. Our goal is to build the ‘Clerk’s Office of the Future.’ That means taking a hard look at processes that date back 60 years and being willing to change them.”
That was the clear leadership objective set by Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts Ché Alexander as Fulton County began examining how court documents are processed. The goal was not just to keep pace with rising filing volumes, growing public expectations, or evolving regulatory requirements — but to lead through them. Madam Clerk emphasized, “Embracing technology is our responsibility to the public we serve.”
As Georgia’s largest and most complex trial court system, Fulton County needed an approach that would hold up regardless of staffing levels and caseload fluctuations. Rather than solely focusing on faster processing, the Clerk’s Office set out to improve how work moves through the courts — deliberately, consistently, and with control.
Working in lockstep with Chief Deputy Clerk and COO Tim Ezell, that vision was translated into operational reality. Together, they led the first Clerk’s Office in Georgia to automate filing acceptance across two courts with distinct statutory requirements. Through artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, they transformed a concept into durable infrastructure — one that is integrated, compliant, and scalable.
Their work toward sustainable modernization demonstrates that reliable and replicable court systems depend on pairing vision with execution. When leaders are willing to do the hard work early, agencies can thrive long after.
Designing Automated Acceptance Across Magistrate and Superior Courts
With varying filing types and statutory timelines across the Superior and Magistrate Courts, leadership recognized their AI strategy needed to be highly intentional and flexible. Rather than introducing a standalone tool, automation was embedded directly into existing clerk workflows, preserving oversight while reducing manual touchpoints. Deputy Ezell emphasized, “Automation became the way to standardize quality without sacrificing quantity.”
Working closely with Tyler developers, Fulton County’s internal automation team configured a rules-based model that mirrored statutory requirements, clerk policies, and division-specific workflows. Using case relationships, routing logic, and triggers, they mapped every nuance to maintain document processing standards.
In doing so, they designed an automated acceptance workflow that reduced backlogs and handled civil filings with precision and consistency. The Magistrate Court focused AI on high-volume documents, including affidavits of service, dismissals, and satisfactions of judgments. At the same time, the Superior Court led with new case forms, including summons, petitions, and complaints.
“We didn’t just turn the bot loose,” said Deputy Ezell. “We put guardrails and rules in place from the start, testing it one document at a time to watch how it learned. That process helped build trust along the way. We made sure the system and our staff were ready before going live.”
Two distinct courts, two distinct models, one unified level of service.
One of the clearest areas of impact emerged in how Fulton County handled satisfaction of judgments and garnishment cases. Previously, these cases required multiple manual steps to close properly — issuing confirmation letters to all parties, notifying the treasury team, and triggering follow-up actions based on a judge’s order.
With automated acceptance in place, AI agents now complete case closure, notifications, and treasury actions in a single swoop. With fewer handoffs, this AI-enabled process minimizes risk and error. “Having that additional support in a complex, multi-step process is one of the biggest gains of the program,” said Deputy Ezell.
Delivering on a Promise: The Clerk’s Office of the Future
Fulton County’s AI program has enabled leaders to reimagine what the clerk process looks like. By shifting repetitive, high-volume document review to AI, staff can focus on higher-value work that requires judgment and interaction with the public.
“The system runs 24/7,” said Deputy Ezell. “When you compare an eight-hour clerk day to continuous processing, the impact is clear.”
This always-on processing improved timeliness and transparency for attorneys and self-represented litigants, while internal teams have the consistency and breathing room to manage complex workloads without sacrificing control.
Madam Clerk added, “Public trust is at the top of the list. When people file documents and can see information quickly and transparently, it strengthens confidence in the system. As the keeper of the records, integrity comes first.”
Fulton County’s AI Program By the Numbers
Fulton County, which serves 1 million residents, moved from manual document processing to an intelligent and repeatable workflow that now serves as a statewide benchmark. Since launching their program, the county has:
- Trained 27 unique agent skills, running at 93% lights-out processing across two courts with distinct statutory requirements
- Processed more than 83,000 total documents, nearly 12,000 per month, with 56% handled after-hours
- Automated more than 66,000 total envelopes, averaging nearly 10,000 per month and reducing time to acceptance by 8-12%
- Reclaimed more than 5,400 staff hours by reducing 5-10% of administrative work
Fulton County’s program — built to operate at scale — was recognized with a 2026 Tyler Excellence Award.
Lessons Learned and Advice for Other Courts Implementing AI
Fulton County built a replicable AI model for court operations by starting small, automating high volume filings, and designing workflows with clear guardrails. By focusing on end-to-end processes and measurable return on investment, the Clerk’s Office created a scalable approach that improves efficiency, accuracy, and public trust. The result is a practical blueprint other courts can confidently follow.
Deputy Ezell advises courts considering AI to begin by asking, “What's our low-hanging fruit? What are the highest volume documents being filed? How can I automate those?” He continued, “Start small, focus on your entire process, and then look at the return on your investment.”
From Leadership to Lasting Infrastructure: A Scalable Automation Framework
Fulton County’s work is shaped by leadership decisions, disciplined execution, and a willingness to lead first. As they continue setting the standard for court operations, Madam Clerk and Deputy Ezell are sharing their learnings with the CJIS Board and county leadership, in hopes of scaling this progress across additional courts and systems.
Together, they are purposefully building the ‘Clerk’s Office of the Future.’
“You can’t do work like this without the right people in the right roles. Vision matters, but execution is everything,” said Madam Clerk.