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Circuit/Family/Probate court reports steady caseloads; recent capital murder trials strained courtroom security
Summary
The Circuit/Family/Probate Court reported caseloads roughly in line with last year and described several consecutive capital murder trials that increased courthouse foot traffic and required additional courtroom security. Community corrections and adult treatment court activity remain high.
Charles presented the Circuit/Family/Probate Court’s semiannual statistics and told the committee caseloads are "pretty consistent with last year, just slightly above totals." He said a string of capital murder trials over the previous weeks had raised courthouse traffic and produced courtroom security challenges. "We needed some additional security in the courtrooms because a couple of them were gang related," Charles said.
Charles said community corrections and the adult treatment court were busy and that juvenile justice reforms and a childcare fund enacted in the prior year continue to require adjustments to operations. He said staff are "tweaking things" and reengineering some processes.
Committee members asked questions about security for volatile hearings; Charles said the court coordinates with the prosecutor’s office, victim‑services, and the sheriff’s department and sometimes deploys courthouse officers and juvenile probation officers to help maintain order. The committee voted to receive the report (motion by Commissioner Behr, supported by Commissioner Williams); the motion passed unanimously.
