Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Judge: jury trials have doubled this year; county to seek court-security funding
Summary
Chief Judge Plue told commissioners filings are steady but Montezuma County has seen a sharp rise in jury trials, straining courthouse hours and security; the sheriff and staff agreed to apply for a court-security grant but declined to attach a permanent FTE to short-term grant funding.
Chief Judge Plue reported a sharp increase in jury activity during a courthouse update at the Montezuma County commissioners' workshop, saying the county "has doubled the number of jury trials in 2026 over what we did in 2025." He told the board the surge has produced long lines and heavy community engagement with jury service, with as many as 70 to 100 people arriving on peak days.
Judge Plue and court staff described operational pressure on the facility: reduced…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
