Mohave County judges tell supervisors workload study shows county needs more judges, staff and courtroom space

Presiding Judge Moss told the Mohave County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 3 that a workload assessment by the National Center for State Courts found the county’s superior court bench and its support staff are significantly under-resourced.

The report, which used an NCSC methodology and sampled case work across 2021–2023, concluded Mohave County needs roughly 13.66 judges based on a three‑year average and as many as 16.17 judges under current caseload trends. The court now has about 11.1 judges, Moss said, and the gap drives delays and heavier workloads for judges, court reporters, probation officers and clerks.

Why this matters: The judges’ workload affects how quickly criminal and civil cases move through the system, influences jail and probation pressures, and creates downstream demands for prosecutors, public defenders and detention staff. The study frames a multi‑year staffing and facilities ask the court says is needed to meet constitutional and statutory timelines for processing cases.

Judge Moss said the study used a 12‑week sampling window (longer than the six weeks many similar studies use) and a nationwide NCSC algorithm to translate activity into staffing units. He told the board the study shows Mohave judges and their staff are doing “40 to 50% more” work than…