As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) "Average annual compensation" means the average annual compensation of a member during the 24 consecutive months of creditable service producing the highest such average.

(2) "Beneficiary" means any person other than a retired member of a retirement system who is receiving a benefit from that retirement system.

(3) "Board" means the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Judicial Retirement System.

(4) "County pension or retirement fund" means only those certain pension and retirement funds provided for by local Acts applicable to certain named counties.

(5) "Creditable service" means prior service and membership service for which credit is allowable under this chapter, but in no case shall more than one year of service be creditable for all service in one calendar year, nor shall it include any service which has been or may be credited to a member by any other public retirement system of this state.

(6) "District attorney" means any district attorney holding office on July 1, 1998, and any district attorney taking office on or after July 1, 1998, except that the term district attorney shall not include any district attorney:

(A) Who was serving as a district attorney on June 30, 1998, and who was not a member of the District Attorneys' Retirement System; or

(B) Who is a member of any other publicly supported retirement or pension system or fund created by any law of this state, if the retirement or pension benefits under such other publicly supported retirement or pension system or fund are based wholly or partially on the compensation payable to the district attorney from state funds.

(7) "District Attorneys' Retirement System" means that retirement system created by Chapter 13 of this title as such chapter existed prior to July 1, 1998.

(8) "Fund" means the Georgia Judicial Retirement System Fund provided for by Code Section 47-23-22.

(9) "Judge, solicitor, or solicitor-general of a state court" means a person elected or appointed to such office for a specific term. Such term shall not include any person acting as a judge or solicitor of a state court on a temporary basis or serving as judge or solicitor-general pro tempore of a state court.

(10) "Juvenile court judge" means a juvenile court judge now or hereafter appointed or otherwise holding office pursuant to Code Section 15-11-18 relative to the creation of juvenile courts, except judges of the superior courts sitting as juvenile court judges and juvenile court judges who are members of local retirement or pension systems created by local law.

(11) "Predecessor retirement system" means the District Attorneys' Retirement System, the Superior Court Judges Retirement System, and the Trial Judges and Solicitors Retirement Fund, collectively or individually.

(12) "Regular interest" means interest at such rate as shall be determined by the board of trustees, which interest shall be compounded annually.

(13) "Retirement system" means the Georgia Judicial Retirement System.

(14) "State court" means any court created pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 7 of Title 15 or any court continued as a state court by Article VI, Section X of the Constitution of the State of Georgia; provided, however, that such term shall not include the State Court of Fulton County.

(15) "Superior Court Judges Retirement System" means that retirement system created by Chapter 9 of this title as such chapter existed prior to July 1, 1998.

(16) "Trial Judges and Solicitors Retirement Fund" means that retirement fund created by Chapter 10 of this title as such chapter existed prior to July 1, 1998.