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Judge: jury trials have doubled this year; county to seek court-security funding

Board of County Commissioners (Montezuma County) · April 14, 2026

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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 public hours introduced during prior budget constraints, limited deputy staffing, and the need for monitoring and screening equipment. "If the county does apply for the court security grant... and there is additional resources and deputies available to the courthouse, I think we would be open to reconsidering reopening at 07:30 to help alleviate some of that congestion," Judge Plue said.

Sheriff leadership raised concern about tying a grant to a permanent position. The sheriff said he would not attach a guaranteed FTE to a grant-funded role because short-term funding can disappear and would leave the county liable. County staff clarified the court-security grant can fund overtime, equipment, training or temporary staffing and does not have to create a permanent position; commissioners agreed to pursue the grant without committing a permanent FTE to the role.

The court also reported a June 30 end date for a separate pretrial-services funding stream that had paid for monitoring and testing of certain defendants. Court staff said they will continue to order testing as required by statute but warned that losing grant support could produce access gaps for individuals who cannot afford testing fees.

Next steps: county staff will submit the court-security grant application and, if awarded, use the funds for supplemental staffing hours, equipment or training rather than promising long-term employment tied to the grant.