Judges press for new felony magistrate and long‑range plan for another county court

Judicial representatives told the court that growing dockets and workloads require new positions and long‑term planning. One judge proposed creating a full‑time felony magistrate position and a bailiff to remove split duties from a judge currently balancing juvenile and felony roles; the proposal includes start‑up operational costs and was marked with an asterisk for inclusion in the proposed budget.

Judges also discussed proactively requesting the state legislature to create a new County Court at Law (County Court Law #3) effective Jan. 1, 2029 so the county can plan facilities and personnel, and noted prior successful examples where early resolutions aided legislative timing. Commissioners asked staff and the county's legislative contacts to prepare wording and to pursue inclusion in omnibus judicial bills where appropriate.