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Municipal judge: court revenue rebounds to pre‑COVID levels; failures to appear remain a challenge
Summary
Municipal Judge Martin Fisher reported that court revenue climbed to about $65,000 (the highest in 12 years) and described persistent failures to appear since the local jail closed; he said targeted outreach—one citizen’s visit to a homeless camp—produced a notable attendance increase.
Municipal Court Judge Martin Fisher told the Cottage Grove City Council that the court’s revenue collections reached roughly $65,000 this year, the highest figure in his 12 years on the bench and an increase from a prior high of about $59,000 in 2015.
"Our revenue collections were the highest they've ever been in my time here," Fisher said, and added that the rise reflects the nature of violations cited and more police staff training and follow‑up. He characterized the year overall as "amazingly average" while noting a steady return toward pre‑COVID levels in case counts and fines.
A pressing concern for Fisher is the number of people who fail to appear for jail sentences or court dates since the local jail was closed. He described an example from July 24 when only six of 20 people listed on the docket appeared, and noted a local citizen, Johanna, who went to a homeless camp after hearing names read in court; after that outreach five people showed up. "If there was some way to have some liaison who would go tell people, 'Hey. You got a court date,' we might see a small increase in the number of people who show up," Fisher said.
Councilors asked staff and the police chief about methods to improve attendance. Police and the judge described a process of tracking repeat failure‑to‑appear individuals, targeted reminders by officers (including outreach to known camp locations), and coordination with the Lane County District Attorney to file new charges and have some repeat offenders booked into the Lane County Jail for circuit court prosecution in more serious or stacked cases.
Fisher also discussed alternatives to jail for treatment courts, noting an example in Springfield that uses jail as a sanction — an option Cottage Grove cannot use because of its smaller court and the lack of local jail authority. He said the city might explore partnerships with local treatment providers if funding and program structures can be tailored to Cottage Grove's limited judicial resources.
Ending: Fisher invited follow‑up questions and said he was available to help the council better understand court trends; councilors indicated an interest in pursuing outreach strategies and continued coordination with law enforcement and the district attorney.
