Primary Department: County Courts
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Judge Erika Ramirez, Presiding Judge
Secondary Department: County Courts
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Ed Wells, Court Manager
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval of a resolution supporting the creation of four (4) County Criminal Courts at Law.
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Background and Discussion:
As the population of Harris County continues growing, the existing 16 County Criminal Courts at Law have reached and surpassed the capacity for processing cases in a just, fair, and effective manner while still disposing of cases in a timely manner. The result is a backlog of cases for all 16 courts. Since 1995, two County Criminal Courts at Law have been created; Court 15 in 1995 and Court 16 in 2015. In that time the population has almost doubled. Additionally, with new technologies and science, misdemeanor cases have increased in complexity. Complexity and the longer times to disposition place an additional burden on courts and all justice partners in the administration of justice. In 2023 The National Center for State Courts assessed judicial workload in the County Criminal Courts at Law and published their findings highlighting the need for 10.5 additional judicial resources in county criminal trial courts. The County Criminal Courts at Law are committed to supporting the efficient and effective administration of justice and support their responsibilities in being good stewards of the resources provided. In that light, The Cou...
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