Aurora judge proposes four-day court week; council continues item for further analysis

Presiding Judge Day proposed moving Aurora Municipal Court from a five‑day, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. schedule to a four‑day, 10‑hour schedule — Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. — and rescheduling weekend bond hearings from Sunday mornings to Saturday afternoons to meet a cited 48‑hour requirement. The proposal was heard at the Aurora City Council study session on Sept. 8, 2025, and the council agreed to continue the item to the next study session to allow staff to present additional scenarios and analysis.

The change, Judge Day said, responds to employee requests for fewer, consecutive days off and aims to reduce in‑court overtime, improve recruitment and retention and lessen “secondary trauma” for court staff who regularly handle difficult cases. "By going to 4 workdays, it'll have a positive effect on recruitment and retention," Judge Day said. He also noted the court tested a Saturday bond‑hearing schedule over the July Fourth weekend and reported it “worked very well and very smooth.”

Why it matters: Council members said the change could…