Judges press county for centralized space for specialty courts, say services and outcomes would improve
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Summary
Judges and stakeholders urged the commissioner's court to centralize staff and services for El Paso County’s specialty courts, pointing to better client privacy, coordination and reduced recidivism; commissioners agreed to meet and explore interim space solutions while longer-term funding is considered.
Judges, probation staff and a state representative urged El Paso County’s commissioners Dec. 18 to centralize space and teams for the county’s specialty courts, arguing that co-located staff and a ground-floor resource center would improve client confidentiality, team coordination and program outcomes.
Judge Francisco Dominguez, presiding judge of the 200th and 205th District Courts and the county’s wellness court, said specialty courts have grown from a small pilot into a wide set of statute-authorized programs that rely on multidisciplinary teams. "We need space for our people, for our staff to be able to see participants," Dominguez said, describing crowded conditions on the 7th Floor and limited private space for counseling, urinalysis storage and compliance staff.
Judge Dominguez and other judges asked the court to consider available space on the 5th Floor — vacated in part when the county attorney’s office relocated — for a centralized resource center and offices for specialty-court teams. They argued such centralization is proven to reduce recidivism and produce better public-safety outcomes while saving taxpayer dollars over time.
Support and next steps: State Representative Joe Moody (District 78) praised the programs’ intense team-based work and offered legislative support. County administration told judges it will meet with them in January to identify interim solutions and examine short-term options while larger funding for a permanent solution is developed. Commissioners clarified administration has not proposed moving the county administration office to the 5th Floor and expressed willingness to collaborate on interim fixes.
Why it matters: Specialty courts (including drug, veterans and mental-health courts) route eligible defendants to treatment and supervision programs intended to lower recidivism. Judges and court staff told commissioners centralizing teams would improve immediate access to counseling, compliance monitoring and confidential client meetings and reduce operational friction caused by widely scattered offices.
What the court did: No formal appropriation was made. Commissioners agreed to convene early next month with judges and staff to identify short-term measures and assess needs for long-term budgeting and space allocation.
