Judges, the district attorney and other court leaders told the Augusta-Richmond County Commission that rising caseloads and limited courtroom capacity are major contributors to jail overcrowding and the county’s budget pressures.

"We should get judges involved in the process earlier at the warrant stage," District Attorney Jarrett Williams said, arguing that earlier intervention and resolution status could reduce the number of cases sitting in jail. Williams told the commission he had requested 12 additional positions and that the proposed budget recommended six — a roughly 50% reduction from his request.

Chief judges and court administrators described new processes intended to clear cases faster, including warrant assignment and differentiated case management. Judge Kelly Kennedy McIntyre noted state court has disposed of hundreds more cases than were filed this year after reforms but warned that courtroom space, staffing and investments such as a new superior-court judge will be necessary to keep pace with growing workloads.

Public defenders and the solicitor general described untenable caseloads and low entry salaries, which they said undermine recruitment and retention. The public defender's chief assistant said the office has had to contract out work because of heavy caseloads and argued that cuts to defense or court budgets would reduce access to counsel and slow case processing.

Commissioners heard repeatedly that decisions about the sheriff’s budget, court staffing and prosecution must be considered holistically. The commission agreed to invite court administrators back for additional briefings and placed judicial funding and case-flow reforms on the agenda for follow-up meetings.