Oregon Judicial Department briefs joint House and Senate judiciary committees on court caseloads, programs and judgeship needs

Nancy Kozine, Oregon’s state court administrator, and Amy Miller, assistant deputy state court administrator, briefed the joint House and Senate Judiciary committees on Jan. 21, 2025, outlining court structure, rising caseloads, program expansions and resource needs across the state court system.

“Oregonians rely on a strong court system,” Kozine said as she summarized the role of the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) and the unified state court system. The department, she said, oversees the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Tax Court and the circuit courts. Kozine told the committees OJD supports courts through the Office of the State Court Administrator (OSCA), providing budget, IT, human resources, training and communications to more than 200 elected officials and roughly 2,000 staff statewide.

The presentation reported a long-term rise in filings since 2020 and highlighted particular pressure points: landlord‑tenant (eviction) filings have “really spiked,” misdemeanors and civil filings have risen, and aid‑and‑assist proceedings related to fitness to proceed have increased. Kozine noted protective‑order filings remain high relative to historical levels. Miller said courts see consequences…