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Struthers municipal judge outlines court backlog fixes and proposes courtroom renovation for jury trials
Summary
Judge James Malone reported a higher caseload in 2024, said changes to local rules are returning court costs to the city’s general fund, described staffing pressures and a plan to restart drug court, and asked council to consider renovating the council chamber/courtroom for formal jury trials with upgraded AV systems.
Judge James Malone, the sitting municipal judge, told the Struthers City Council on March 26 that his first year on the bench focused on clearing backlogs and improving court operations and that he plans to renovate the council chamber so it can properly host jury trials.
"My focus in 2024, my first year as judge was to just get everything cleaned up, running smoothly," Malone said, describing changes to civil-case procedures and an effort to keep criminal dockets moving.
Malone said the court handled "over 3,300 cases" in 2024, about 1,000 more than in 2023, and that he had revised local rules to reduce the civil-case backlog. He told council the court now generally meets Ohio Supreme Court time guidelines for case processing, with only occasional exceptions.
As part of operational changes, Malone said he adjusted where court costs are allocated so more of those revenues flow back to the city. "Early in 2025 this year, I made the same change, to…
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