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Lee's Summit judges press council for more court days and higher pay as caseloads grow
Summary
Elected municipal judges told the council that the city's two‑day‑a‑week court system—unchanged since 1981—is overloaded by population growth and rising filings; judges asked for more court days, additional dockets and market‑rate compensation including retirement, while council requested an audit, comparator data and outside counsel on midterm pay issues.
Judges Maxwell Lopez and Alteri told the Lee’s Summit City Council on Nov. 3 that the municipal court is operating well beyond the structure set in place decades ago and that growth in population and filings has stretched staff, judges and courtroom capacity.
"We preside over a lot of criminal cases involving dangerous activities," Judge Maxwell Lopez said in the council chambers, listing domestic assault, illegal firearm discharges, high‑speed chases and felony‑level retail thefts among case types facing the court. She and Judge Alteri described repeated overcrowding on docket days, prisoners waiting, and safety and supervision challenges for court staff.
The judges asked the council to fund more court dates — they proposed a modest…
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