Idaho courts press for judges, finish court‑technology cybersecurity upgrades and outline ARPA spending

Judicial Branch leaders told the Joint Finance Preparation Committee on Jan. 23 that a multi‑year technology modernization and cybersecurity program is underway and that the courts continue to press for additional judges to address rising caseloads and travel burdens.

Keith Bybee, division manager for budget policy analysis, reviewed the Court Operations budget and noted a governor’s placeholder of a 5% judicial compensation adjustment while the judiciary’s own compensation request totals about $10.2 million. Bybee also described a set of judge‑related requests the Supreme Court may pursue in separate policy bills: two district judges with court reporters (one for the First Judicial District in Coeur d’Alene and one for the Seventh Judicial District in Idaho Falls) and two magistrate judges (one in Twin Falls and one in Bonneville County). Those judicial additions would require statutory action.

Why it matters: The courts said population growth and increased filings have pushed workload higher; staffing and capital funding decisions affect case processing times, access to local judges and cybersecurity protections for court records and personal data.

Court technology and cybersecurity: Administrative Director of the Courts Sarah Omanson said the courts began an…