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Commissioner proposes pilot of bonded temporary clerks to ease JP backlog
Summary
A commissioner suggested a six- to 12-month pilot placing bonded temporary clerks in one or two Justice of the Peace courts to test whether nonpermanent help could clear processing bottlenecks and speed cases onto dockets. Commissioners debated whether temps would solve systemic process issues or merely shift workload.
A commissioner recommended testing bonded temporary clerks in one or two Justice of the Peace courts as a time-limited pilot to see whether additional nonpermanent staff could relieve docket backlogs and let the county evaluate fiscal impacts.
"I approached Cammie while we were, talking, and I wondered if this was an opportunity for us to do a test," the commissioner said, arguing the trial would allow the court and budget office to determine whether temps could perform clerk responsibilities and shorten time to docket. Other commissioners pushed back, saying temporary hires may not change underlying workflow constraints.
Opponents said the core problem may be process, not headcount. One commissioner said temporary employees "are not gonna solve the issue of getting more cases in front of these judges," and urged the court to ask judges directly what would improve throughput. County staff noted a statutory compliance barrier: any personnel handling criminal justice information must be CJIS-certified, which limits how quickly a vendor can supply suitably cleared temps.
The court did not take a formal vote on the pilot; commissioners asked staff to gather more input from JP offices and from vendors about CJIS-certified temporary staffing and likely costs.
