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Judge and court staff propose jury-related cuts, buy chairs now to save next-year funds
Summary
Delaware County courts proposed cutting $50,000 from next year's jury-trial line based on lower-than-expected trial usage and proposed buying jury room chairs now from current-year funds to reduce the 2026 equipment request.
Court staff told the County Council they are recommending a $50,000 reduction in the 2026 county-general budget's jury-fee expense line, citing a multi-year trend of many scheduled jury calls not proceeding to full trials.
Court budget presenter Emily Anderson said the courts historically see a high cancellation rate: for example, in one year the courts issued 64 venires but only 26 proceeded to trial; another year showed a similar pattern. Based on current-year activity she said a $50,000 reduction is a reasonable, conservative adjustment.
Why it matters: jury-fee and jury-trial expenses (witness fees, juror costs and related expenses) are significant annual outlays for the courts. Reducing the budgeted amount will lower county-general requested spending for 2026, but court staff warned councilors that trial caseloads can be unpredictable.
Equipment decision: staff also recommended purchasing jury room chairs this fiscal year rather than placing the full cost in the 2026 budget, asserting a modest savings from current quotes. Anderson proposed shifting roughly $10,007.80 from the jury-trial line to cover about two courtrooms now and reduce next year's equipment request. Council members agreed in principle to fund the chairs this year to realize the savings.
Next steps and caveats: council members asked staff to verify line-item math and to provide detailed statistics supporting the $50,000 reduction. No formal appropriation vote occurred; staff said they will adjust the draft budget and provide updated line-item totals for final consideration.
Ending: Court staff said the recommended cut reflects observed trial cancellation rates and that buying chairs this year could modestly reduce the 2026 equipment request, while cautioning the council that trial demand can change quickly.
