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Visiting judges and backlog grants cut old criminal cases by months, courts tell commissioners
Summary
Court staff said a backlog grant and visiting-judge program reduced the number of criminal cases older than 301 days from 489 to 56 since July 2023, but stressed new filings and changes in law will keep pressure on resources.
Court staff told the finance committee visiting judges funded through a backlog grant materially reduced older criminal dockets: they reported 489 criminal cases older than 301 days when the program began and a reduction to 56 such cases by July of the following year. Chris, court business manager, described the grant-driven increase in visiting-judge coverage as a significant factor in the decline.
Presenters cautioned that new filings continue to rise and that statewide legal changes (for example, new defenses and appellate rulings) increase workload and require ongoing resources. Commissioners and court staff also raised non-judge budget items that affect throughput, including interpreter services, appointed-defense cost timing and staffing for self-represented litigants.
