Judge presents Overland Park municipal court annual report, highlighting caseload and performance metrics

Judge Cindy Cornwell, speaking to the Finance, Administration and Economic Development Committee on July 15, outlined the municipal courtannual report and said the court is organized around three core staff groups: clerks, security officers and probation officers. "There are 12 court clerks who serve as the administrative backbone of the court," Cornwell said, and she reported an average of 1,940 cases per clerk in 2025.

Cornwell described the court's 2025 caseload breakdown and performance measures, saying law enforcement filed 21,785 total charges and that traffic violations accounted for the large majority (19,351). "In 2025, there were 1,642 total misdemeanors filed," she said, and noted that property/animal code violations numbered 792. The presentation included performance data: 91% of traffic tickets were resolved within 90 days (average disposition 30 days) and the average disposition for misdemeanors was 39 days.

The judge also summarized financial and access metrics: the court reported an 81% fine collection rate (fines totaled more than $2 million) and provided interpretation services in 32 languages. Cornwell emphasized the court's adherence to the National Center for State Courts performance framework as a way to measure timeliness, access to justice and effectiveness. "The 6 percent recidivism rate on page 5 for probation and diversion cases demonstrates that the court's interventions are in fact effective," she said.

Committee members asked for clarifications about the underlying calculations and the scope of program-evaluation results; staff said program-evaluation percentages reflect respondents who completed diversion or probation rather than all court participants. The committee did not vote on the report but thanked court staff for the presentation and the additional graphics provided in the new PDF format of the annual report.