Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Magistration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners discuss hiring a dedicated magistrate to speed magistration and ease jail backlog
Summary
Officials discussed creating a dedicated magistration judge (and supporting clerks) to perform magistration multiple times daily, which could reduce jail stay lengths and help meet 24/48-hour statutory requirements; no final staffing decision was made.
Commissioners, the judge and sheriff explored the idea of a dedicated magistrate (magistration judge) who would be stationed at the jail to perform magistration more frequently than rotating justice-of-the-peace coverage. Proponents argued a dedicated magistrate could magistrate twice a day rather than once, improving compliance with 24- and 48-hour statutory timelines and potentially reducing jail population by allowing earlier release decisions.
Staff and commissioners discussed staffing implications: a dedicated magistrate would require clerks and scheduling support and might function in a separate division or under the bond office for clerical support. Commissioners noted that workload varies by judge and that, on average, 11 people are booked per day; proponents said a full-time, five-day magistrate could likely handle daily volume but that backup coverage would be needed for time off.
