Judge says transferred Superior Court cases added substantially to docket; commissioners approve item

A county judge told the Daviess County Commissioners that a large number of Superior Court cases transferred to the county docket have substantially increased his workload and that the court is using senior judges and referees to reduce a backlog.

The judge said, "It's a it's a huge amount and it's a huge addition to my docket," and explained that some criminal work transferred away from Superior Court should reduce expenditures there. He also said staff and retired judges are being used to address the backlog: "we're utilizing senior judges... Miss Brown's a pretty good statistical analyzer, and she's been saying we're making a pretty good dent." The judge estimated progress could be seen by the end of this year into next year but did not give a specific date for the backlog to be cleared.

Commissioners asked whether funds previously budgeted in Superior Court would cover transferred cases. One commissioner asked, "is there any money on the Superior side that's already been allocated to cover some of this?" The judge replied that those funds are "probably already in their budget" and that transfers change where expenditures fall, noting pauper funds are a large expense for the related dockets.

After discussion, the commission moved and approved the agenda item tied to the judge's report. Tony made the motion to approve; Matt seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote.

The judge also noted operational challenges from working in temporary facilities while efforts to reduce the case backlog continue.