Judiciary committee refers bill to Appropriations after hours of testimony on court delays

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to refer a bill seeking additional judges and judicial support to the Joint Budget Committee’s Appropriations Committee after witnesses described extended delays across Colorado courts and widespread strain on judges and litigants.

Committee members held a hearing on Jan. 20 in which the bill’s sponsors and witnesses — including Chief Justice Monica Marquez of the Colorado Supreme Court, district and county judges, district attorneys and legal-services advocates — said judicial workloads have outpaced current staffing and are causing long waits for criminal, family, juvenile and civil cases.

Chief Justice Monica Marquez, testifying as the judicial branch’s primary advocate for the measure, called it “the department’s top legislative priority this year” and told the committee the proposal would not meet the branch’s full need but would provide targeted relief. “Even if fully funded, it would bring us up to a floor of 87% across our districts,” Marquez said, using figures prepared by the branch.

Several court officers described concrete effects in their jurisdictions. Erin Sokol, chief judge of the 4th Judicial District, asked the committee to support four new district judges…