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Jefferson County officials warn magistrate vacancy is stretching court timelines and services
Summary
Court officials told the county board that a vacant commissioner role and interpreter shortages have lengthened criminal, eviction and family-court timelines and that staff are seeking a hire within 30 days to restore statutory timelines.
Court officials told the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors on July 8 that a vacant family court commissioner post has stretched court calendars, delaying hearings across criminal, eviction and family-court dockets and increasing pressure on staff.
Judge James Dearing, presiding judge of the Jefferson County Circuit Court, told the board the courthouse performed well in 2024 but acknowledged the court has been operating "down a commissioner for all of this calendar year" and that staff hope to fill the vacancy soon.
Court Support Services Commissioner Jennifer Weber said the county created the Court Support Services department in 2024 by consolidating multiple offices. She told supervisors the department has dropped from three commissioners to two and is actively recruiting. Weber said that while she and judges are trying to compress calendars, the vacancy means the county may not meet some statutory timelines if the vacancy persists.
"When you go from three to one, the community is gonna suffer," Weber said. She warned hypothetically that, on the criminal side, people charged with crimes could "not have seen a judge and be placed on bail or bond for 30 to 60 days" and that landlords may not receive eviction hearings within the 20 days required by statute if staffing remains short.
Weber outlined operational strains: in 2024 Court Support Services held more than 5,600 hearings; limited-English-proficiency (LEP) hearings rose about 150% in 2024, to nearly 2,000 hearings requiring interpreters. She noted certified court interpreters are tightly limited in number and that noncertified translation tools may not be used inside the courtroom.
Weber said the department is pursuing a candidate and expects to complete hiring within about 30 days. She also reported internal efficiency gains after consolidating administrative functions: hiring a full-time bookkeeper increased revenues by more than 50% compared with prior expectations.
Board members asked questions about hearing wait times and interpreter availability; Weber said the oral portion of court interpreter certification is difficult and the county is working with the state courts' interpreter program to expand capacity.
No formal action was taken by the board at the July 8 meeting; Weber requested the board's continued support while staff fill the vacant commissioner post and manage increased interpreter needs.
Ending: Court staff said they will continue recruitment efforts and asked for patience as they try to restore timelines to statutory standards once the vacant commissioner position is filled.
