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Henderson County administrative judge: felony caseloads have outpaced resources; budget request likely
Summary
Judge Scott McKee told the Henderson County Commissioners Court that felony filings and multi-count indictments have increased faster than felony-focused attorney and investigative resources, pushing cases-per-attorney from about 185 to about 220 and raising the age of the most serious cases.
Judge Scott McKee, Henderson County's administrative district judge, told the Commissioners Court on June 23 that felony caseloads and investigative needs in the county have increased substantially and that staffing has not kept pace. "Cases per attorney in 2009 was 185.3; it has risen to 220," McKee said, adding that many indictments are multi-count and that the county now handles a large number of child-pornography and complex felony investigations.
McKee said the county's budget records show growth in investigative positions (from nine in 2011 to 14 now) but that felony-focused attorney resources have not grown at the same rate. "I'm inundated. I'm inundated now," he said, describing a rise in search warrants and related investigative work. He told commissioners he signed 554 warrants last year and had signed 246 so far this year.
The judge said statewide Office of Court Administration (OCA) metrics show Henderson County performs well on clearance rates but that the "age of cases" for serious matters such as sexual assaults and homicides has increased. "Our criminal clearance rate is around 114%," he said, "but our age of cases, especially on sexual assaults and homicides, is up." McKee said some delays stem from limited availability of defense counsel in appointed cases as well as resource limits for felony investigations and case preparation.
The presentation included data the judge said he compiled from district clerk records and numbers provided by the district attorney's office. McKee told the court he plans to present staffing and budget requests at the formal budget process: "I am asking at budget time for an additional attorney," he said, and urged commissioners to consider more felony resources to reduce case age and to match investigative capacity with caseload complexity.
Why it matters: Increasing case age on violent and sexual-assault cases can prolong victims' waits for resolution and raise jail and litigation costs. The judge framed his presentation as informational but asked the court to consider the numbers when making staffing and budget decisions.
The court asked for additional detail about case-age breakdowns and clearance metrics; McKee said he would provide more granular reports during budget discussions. No formal action was taken at the presentation beyond questions and answers.
