This bill creates the 2011 Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform for Georgians to study Georgia's criminal justice and correction system to enhance public safety, reduce victimization, hold offenders more accountable, enhance probation and parole supervision and better manage a growing prison population. The Council would create a report of its findings and recommend legislation no later than January 9, 2012. The Council's recommendations would then be considered by a Special Joint Committee on Georgia Criminal Justice Reform. The joint committee would cause legislation to be introduced incorporating the recommendations without significant changes.

HB 270 requires that elections for sheriff, district attorney and solicitor be by nonpartisan election. It also allows the General Assembly to enact local legislation to allow any other county elected office - including county commissioner - to be nonpartisan.

This bill eliminates the tiered surcharge on traffic fines to fund probate judges retirement.  There will now be a $3.00 surcharge on every traffic case.

This bill provides that magistrate courts, state courts and other "county courts" that are served by a marshal may only have papers for the court served by a marshal, a deputy marshal or a process server approved by the marshal.