Judge Lisa Leon, judge of Des Moines Municipal Court, told the Des Moines City Council on April 24 that the court is handling steadily rising caseloads and is operating at or near full capacity.

The rising volume — including a 40% increase in criminal filings in the first quarter of 2025 — has lengthened calendars and pushed the court to book dates as far out "as court rules allow," Leon said. She warned the council that sustaining current service levels may require additional judicial time, staff and space.

The court’s workload covers misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses, traffic infractions, photo enforcement citations, nuisance and abatement cases, animal control violations and vehicle-impound hearings. Leon said the court operates programs intended to reduce recidivism, including probation-style support services, a specialized DUI court and electronic monitoring options such as GPS and home detention.

Leon described the DUI court as a targeted, intensive program for high-risk offenders. "We are targeting those offenders with three or more DUI offenses," she said. Since 2018 the DUI court has served 32 participants and celebrated 12 graduates; the judge said the program could graduate about four more people this year. The DUI court has five phases and, if participants complete the program, cases can close after roughly 48 months.

Council members pressed the judge on capacity and the differences between processing traffic-camera cases and criminal dockets. "Having watched your four-hour things, it's just a very different type of processing for ... the jury trials and the criminal things as opposed to the people who are debating the wisdom of their red light thing," Council Member Harris said during questioning.

Leon also flagged a shortage of certified interpreters for less common languages as a cause of delay. She said some interpreters now appear by Zoom, which can create additional logistical needs for private consultations and strain courtroom scheduling. "Eventually there will be due process violations," Leon warned, adding that circuit-wide groups are working on the problem but that no immediate solution exists.

On funding and authority, Leon told the council that "state law requires the executive branch to fund court operations," adding that fines and fees are not a reliable revenue source for court staffing because state statutes govern allocation of collected monies.

The presentation was for council awareness; Leon said no formal action was required that night but indicated the court is likely to request additional funding or judicial time if caseloads continue to climb.

Questions and follow-up from council members focused on whether growing criminal filings — not just photo enforcement cases — will require different space and staffing solutions. Leon concluded by thanking court staff and noting the court will continue to coordinate with the city on future needs.