Stonecrest judges warn clerk vacancy and caseload rise could erode court gains

Chief Judge Curtis W. Miller told the Stonecrest City Council on July 14 that the municipal court has seen a notable increase in cases this year and urged council members to be involved in replacing the court administrator who recently left the city. Miller said much of the caseload growth reflects better code-enforcement work finding businesses operating without required local business licenses and occupational tax registration. “I don’t want anybody, especially council people, to think that the court is a source of revenue. It is not,” Miller said, adding that fines and fees support enforcement but are not the court’s purpose. The judge said the court has widened calendars and adjusted procedures to handle more cases involving corporate and nonperson entities, such as apartment owners and absentee landlords, and to make sure the proper legal entity is charged. He…