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Commission approves Office of Judicial Commissioners; appointment of a fifth commissioner deferred
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Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved Resolution 25-06-11a to create and fund an Office of Judicial Commissioners; the office began operations with four commissioners after one appointee declined, and the commission expects to name a fifth at the next meeting.
The Board of County Commissioners approved Resolution 25-06-11a to create and fund a Washington County Office of Judicial Commissioners.
County accounting/attorney staff provided an annotated resolution to reflect changes from an earlier June version: the judicial commissioners may be part-time, are not required to be Washington County residents, and other adjustments to staffing and duties were captured in the document provided to commissioners. The resolution passed on roll call with the clerk announcing 13 yes and 2 absent.
Judge Minga, who is the presiding judge for the program, updated commissioners on early operations. The office began August 1 with four judicial commissioners after one of five appointees declined the position following further discussions about compensation and benefits. The court has been operating with judges and the four commissioners handling shifts; Judge Minga said operations are improving as training and daily administrative reviews continue.
“It’s [training and implementation] been fast and furious for those three days,” Judge Minga said, and added that staff review logs and paperwork daily and that the work has added procedural value (for example, orders granting blood-draw warrants, protection orders, and release-on-recognizance matters that clerks previously could not handle). He reported 49 domestic protection-order or related items in about 24 days where the court now has capability to act.
Commissioners were told there are multiple interested applicants for the remaining vacancy and that the presiding judge has temporary authority, under the revised resolution, to fill a vacancy so services are not interrupted. The Judicial Commissioner Association and statewide training program will provide several days of instruction at no cost to the county.
What happened
• Resolution: 25-06-11a—creation and funding of an Office of Judicial Commissioners (approved by commission). • Vote: recorded as 13 yes and 2 absent. • Appointments: the commission initially appointed five commissioners July 28, but one declined; the office began operations Aug. 1 with four; the commission expects to consider a fifth appointment at the next meeting. • Operational update: Judge Minga reported improved paperwork and orders being issued, citing several examples of duties now handled by judicial commissioners.
Implementation notes
The presiding judge will provide a name for the fifth commissioner when ready; appointees serve a probationary period (90 days). Training and additional supervision will continue as the program matures.
