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Juvenile court urges funding to add magistrates, replace DHS capacity and raise magistrate pay
Summary
Judge Tarek Sugarman told the committee juvenile court needs immediate funding for two additional magistrates, reallocation of DHS-funded magistrate coverage and higher pay to retain magistrates; the committee approved a $713,564 request to expand capacity and reduce backlog.
Juvenile Court leadership told the Budget & Finance Committee that court caseloads — particularly dependency/neglect and complex family matters — are creating statutory deadline pressure and long backlogs. Judge Tarek Sugarman and Chief Legal Officer Erica Evans asked the committee for three actions: reallocate 30% of DHS magistrate funding to expand magistrate jurisdiction; add two magistrates to expand weekly case capacity by an estimated 212 hearings; and increase magistrate salaries to align with peer counties and retain experienced staff.
Why it matters: Juvenile court reported it handled about 38,000 cases in FY25 and roughly 4,000 dependency/neglect matters; delays in adjudication create statutory exposure and prolong placements. Court leaders said that additional magistrates and better pay will reduce backlogs and speed case resolution.
Quote: “The 2 additional magistrates would allow us to hear an estimated 212 more cases per week, dramatically reducing delays for families,” Judge Tarek Sugarman said.
Outcome: The committee approved the $713,564 request with recorded ayes; court leadership promised to provide district‑level detention/admit data and additional documentation for commissioners ahead of the full commission meeting.
