Martin County commissioners unanimously oppose plan to cut judges in Second Judicial District

The Martin County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously April 25 to adopt a resolution opposing proposals to reduce the number of judges in the Second Judicial District from four to three.

Vice Chairman Tommy Bowen moved the resolution, which Commissioner Dempsey Bond seconded. The board’s resolution cites the district’s size (more than 3,900 square miles), the long travel distances judges already face, steadily increasing felony and traffic caseloads, and the county-level impacts of the opioid crisis as reasons a reduction would harm timely access to justice.

The resolution notes the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act takes effect Dec. 1, 2019, and says any reduction in judicial positions ‘‘will immediately cause a reduction in the number of court sessions and result in crowded courtrooms, longer court days, case delays, and will negatively impact the clerks, bailiffs, law enforcement, attorneys, judges, and most importantly the general public served by our court system.’’ The board resolved to transmit the resolution to the North Carolina General Assembly through the district’s elected representatives.

Chairman Elmo “Butch” Lilley presided over the unanimous vote. No alternate motions or recorded objections were made at the joint meeting. The resolution text references work by the Joint Select Committee on Judicial Reform and Redistricting and three proposed plans labeled A, B and C; plan B and C would reduce the Second Judicial District’s judgeship count from four to three while plan A would keep four judges.