[00:00:01]
[* A portion of this meeting is without audio *]
FIRST BROUGHT UP. I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA. FROM WHAT THEY DO. SO IF. IF THERE NOT INTERESTED IN IT OR DON'T THINK IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM, IT REALLY LESSENS MY INTEREST IN IT. YOUR APPETITE WANED A LITTLE BIT. YES, THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT. ALL RIGHT.COMMISSIONER MCGUIRK, I APOLOGIZE, JUDGE, I REALLY AM NOT SURE THIS QUESTION IS ABOUT THE MAGISTRATE. IT'S MORE ABOUT THE THE ASSISTANCE THAT WOULD TRY TO HELP WITH THE BACKLOG OF THE FOR EACH OF THE JP. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT AT THIS POINT OR IF OR IF NOT, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT KIND OF WAS IN LIEU OF THE. HOW WAS THIS NOTICED? HOW WAS THIS NOTICED? OH, SORRY. IT WAS NOTICED AS DISCUSSED. JUSTICE. JUSTICE,
[2. Discussion of Justice Courts, and all related issues]
COURTS AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. OKAY. OKAY, SO WE'RE COVERED UNDER ALL RELATED ISSUES. SO IN REGARDS TO THE THE FIELD TRIP, WE JUST WENT ON, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD IS THAT POSSIBLY SOME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE FROM A, FROM, FROM A STAFF WOULD HELP POSSIBLY WITH THE BACKLOG BECAUSE IF THEY COULD GET MORE THINGS THROUGH THE SYSTEM, THAT WOULD HELP YOU TO THEN GET MORE OF THE, OF THE CASES IN YOUR COURTROOMS. AND SO AS OPPOSED TO US HIRING STAFF AND HIRING CLERKS FOR THIS AS COUNTY EMPLOYEES, I APPROACHED CAMI WHILE WE WERE TALKING, AND I WONDERED IF THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO A TEST. AND MAYBE IT'S JUST A TEST IN 1 OR 2 OF THE OF THE COURTS, THE JP COURTS OF HIRING TEMPORARIES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD HAVE TO PROBABLY BE BONDED, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE THE SKILL SET PERHAPS TO PERFORM THE CLERK, THE CLERK RESPONSIBILITIES AND MAYBE TEST THAT FOR A PERIOD. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A SIX MONTH PERIOD OR A YEAR PERIOD, BUT THAT WOULD GIVE US, AS THE COURT AND THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE BUDGET, AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE IF THIS IF THIS PROCESS COULD BE COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO, TO THE TO THE JP AND THEIR AND THEIR DOCKETS AND SO FORTH. SO WHAT PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH A TEMPORARY SERVICE OF SOME KIND THAT THAT HAS EMPLOYEES THAT I THINK YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE AND FORGIVE ME, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO THERE IS MAYBE WHAT LEANNA THOUGHT JUDGE WHITTEN TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, WHICH WAS HER BACKLOG OF BEING ABLE TO FILE SOME OF THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE. THAT MAY BE A GOOD THING FOR THAT, BUT I AM WHOLLY AGAINST HIRING TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES TO DO A JOB THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE AND TO A JOB THAT'S NOT GOING TO SLOW DOWN. THAT TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE ISSUE OF GETTING MORE CASES IN FRONT OF THESE JUDGES. AND THAT'S OUR ISSUE. OKAY. THEY'RE SAYING THAT I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. FOR JUDGE WHITTEN'S CASE, WHERE SHE SAID SHE HAD A WHOLE CLOSET FULL OF THINGS THAT SHE CAN'T CATCH UP ON FILING, MAYBE THAT HELPS THAT, BUT IT DOESN'T HELP THE PROCESS.OUR PROCESS IS I WOULDN'T CALL IT BROKEN. IT'S JUST BUSIER. WE'RE JUST BUSIER. AND I THINK THESE GUYS NEED TO WE NEED TO HEAR FROM THEM ON WHAT THEY THINK WILL HELP THEIR PROCESS BE MORE EFFICIENT, SO THAT THEY CAN DISPOSE OF MORE THINGS. AND REMEMBER, TOO, THAT SOME OF
[00:05:02]
THESE CASES, ONCE THEY GET THEM, THEY HAVE THESE CRAZY TIMELINES THAT THEY CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT.THEY'VE GOT TO SERVICE A CERTAIN WAY. SOME OF THESE CASES WILL TAKE SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS TO GET ON A DOCKET, EVEN IF THEY DID EVERYTHING RIGHT AND QUICKLY. SO SOME OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE BACKLOG IS JUST INCREASED BUSINESS AS WELL. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE BACKLOG IS EVER GOING TO GO. COMMISSIONER, FROM 3000 TO 1000 OR WHATEVER ARBITRARY NUMBER WE'RE GOING TO PUT ON IT. BUT WE REALLY NEED TO DETERMINE IS WHAT NEW ADDITIONAL PROCESS ARE WE GOING TO ADD THAT'S GOING TO SPEED THINGS UP? OUR SERVICE TO THE TO OUR CLIENTS, WHICH ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS. RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR THAT FROM Y'ALL. SO SO ON THE TEMP ISSUE, ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT IS EACH EMPLOYEE THAT WE HIRE FROM A TEMP SERVICE HAS TO GO THROUGH A CERTIFICATION WITH THE STATE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ONGOING PROCESS. SO THEY CAN'T JUST SEND ANYBODY TO US BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO MEET CJIS QUALIFICATIONS TO HANDLE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION AND PERSONAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. SO THAT'S THAT'S A REQUIREMENT FROM THE STATE THAT WE CAN'T BYPASS. SO CONSIDER THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEMPS, THEY'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED. RIGHT. I MEAN, I THINK THAT SOME SOME COMPANIES THAT IS PART OF WHAT THEY DO AND THEY PROVIDE THAT MAYBE NOT, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S SIMILAR THAT HAS THE, THE ABILITY, EVEN IF IT'S SIMILAR, THEY HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED THROUGH DPS. CORRECT? YEAH. I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE, I GUESS IF AND I COMMISSIONER, I AGREE WITH YOU. IF THE NUMBERS ARE THE NUMBERS, BUT IF WE TESTED IT BEFORE WE HIRED FOR NEW CLERKS, OKAY, OR, YOU KNOW, TWO NEW CLERKS, WHATEVER, IF WE WANTED TO PHASE IT IN IT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A HEADCOUNT THAT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY. AND IT MAY NOT THAT THAT MAY BE THE REALITY THAT THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HELP HELP WITH YOUR BACKLOG. AND I JUST WAS OFFERING THIS AS AN OPTION JUST FOR US TO TRY TO SEE FROM, FROM OUR BUDGET STANDPOINT, RIGHT? IS THERE A TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE THAT MAY HELP WITH THIS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY NOT UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY, SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, YOU NAME IT. KIOSK. I'M OPEN FOR, FOR ANYTHING DOCKET PROCESSING OR WHAT SPECIFICALLY. SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE HERE? ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE THE BACKLOG OF CASES WHICH MAY NOT BE SOLVABLE? OR ARE WE TRYING TO I MEAN, WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE? THE PROBLEM I'M TRYING TO SOLVE, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE COURT IS THE PROBLEM I'M TRYING TO SOLVE IS GETTING FILES THAT ARE BEING FILED INTO THE COURT, PROCESSED EFFICIENTLY AND WITH MORE STAFF TO GET IT TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN GET IT ON THE DOCKET WITH THE TIMELINES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH SO WE CAN MORE EFFICIENTLY GET THEM PROCESSED AND GET THEM ON A DOCKET QUICKER THAN WE CAN GET THEM PROCESSED TO A RESOLUTION FOR THE CONSTITUENT, BETTER THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO YOUR, YOUR, YOUR CONCERN AND THE, THE SOLUTION, YOU SEE AS A PROCESS, WE NEED TO PROCESS QUICKER. WE HAVE THE PROCESS OR JUST PROCESS. WE HAVE THE PROCESS.
IT'S JUST THE VOLUME OF WHAT'S COMING IN IS, IS, IS, IS OVERWHELMING THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE NOW. OKAY. AND THAT IS THAT CONSISTENT IN EVERY AND EVERY ONE OF THE JP OFFICES. I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MY I KNOW I UNDERSTAND AS FAR AS MY COURT. YES. OKAY. SO GOING PAPERLESS, DOES THAT HELP THAT OR DOES THAT HURT THAT THE PROCESS, THE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE MAGISTRATE PROCESS, IT'S GOING TO HELP IT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, ALL THAT PAPERWORK I SHOWED YOU THIS MORNING, WE TAKE THAT BIG STACK OF PAPERS LIKE I HAD THE WEEKEND. I HAD A STACK THIS HIGH OF 30 PEOPLE. I TAKE THAT OVER TO MY STAFF. THEY SCAN EVERYTHING INTO TYLER. SO IT'S ELECTRONIC. GOSH, SO SO SO THAT SO SO THAT PROCESS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MORNING, IT'S GOING TO SAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF TIME OF SCANNING AND PUTTING THINGS INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO THEORETICALLY WE TOUCH IT ONCE AND HAVE TO TAKE A FILE OVER TO YOUR PEOPLE. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO CREATE THE FILE THAT THAT COMMISSIONER STACY TALKED ABOUT THIS MORNING. AND IT'S ALREADY IN THE CASE FILE FOR THE FOR THE TRIAL COURTS, WHERE IT'S AN EVENT IN THE MAGISTRATE IS AN EVENT IN THE CASE FILE WHERE THEY CAN PULL IT UP AND SEE IT IN THE DOCUMENTS. SO HOW CAN WE USE THE SAME OR SIMILAR SYSTEM FOR OUR RECEIVERSHIP CASES, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GETTING. EACH COURT IS GETTING A TON OF THOSE. IS THERE A WAY WHERE WE CAN I MEAN, WE'RE USING THAT. WE'RE USING THE TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE TO PROCESS THOSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE JUDGE RUSSO SAID THIS MORNING, WE DON'T GET ANY FEES FROM THAT. I MEAN, IT'S IT'S AN EXPENSE ON THE COUNTY TO PROCESS THEM AND GET THEM THROUGH TO A RESOLUTION. I'M
[00:10:01]
JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO TO IF THERE'S TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE WHERE WE CAN AUTOMATE THAT. AND, AND I MEAN, I GET A RECEIVERSHIP. IT'S FILED ELECTRONICALLY. IT'S, IT GETS PUT IN THE SYSTEM ELECTRONICALLY. THEY PROCESS IT TO ME. I LOOK AT IT, CONSIDER IT, SIGN IT, AND IT'S ALL DONE ELECTRONICALLY. SO WE'RE NOT DOING ANY PAPER ON THOSE. SO THERE MAY NOT BE ANY EFFICIENCIES. THERE'S NOT REALLY I MEAN I CAN'T THINK OF ANY EFFICIENCIES CAN YOU ON THAT PROCESS. IT IS WHAT IT IS. THIS MAY BE WE'RE DOING IT THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY NOW. SO THIS MAY BE AN UNFAIR QUESTION. SO OF AN EIGHT HOUR DAY AND I'M ASSUMING YOUR CLERKS WORKING EIGHT HOUR A DAY, HOW IS THEIR DAY SPENT OF THAT EIGHT. YOU KNOW, THROW OUT LUNCH AND LET'S SAY, HOW IS HOW IS THEIR DAY SPENT? YOU WELL, GO AHEAD. OKAY.SO THEY SO I HAVE A CRIMINAL CLERK AND A CIVIL CLERK. SO MY CIVIL CLERK HANDLES ALL THE INFLOW OF ALL OF THE CASE FILINGS ON THE CIVIL SIDE ELECTRONICALLY. AND MY CRIMINAL CLERK TAKES PHONE CALLS ALL DAY. SHE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET A TICKET. HOW DO I TAKE CARE OF IT? BECAUSE THEY DON'T READ IT. THEY DON'T. WE ALL TAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS ALL DAY. SO YEAH, SO, SO JUST HAVING SOMEBODY TO ANSWER THE PHONE OR HAVING A SYSTEM, AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM WHERE THEY CAN GET INFORMATION TO, HEY, YOU NEED TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.ROCKWALLCOUNTY.COM. JP ONE AND HERE'S YOUR INFORMATION ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR CITATION. THEN SPENDING 30 MINUTES ON THE PHONE EXPLAINING IT TO THEM WHEN THEY HAVE IT, THE DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF THEM. SO OUR, OUR AI BOT RECEPTIONIST THAT'S COMING WOULD WOULD HELP.
YES. I DO BELIEVE BECAUSE MY, MY CRIMINAL CLERK, SHE HANDLES THE FRONT OFFICE WELL. THEY BOTH HANDLE THE FRONT WINDOW. IF SOMEBODY COMES AND FILES CASES AT THE FRONT WINDOW, THEY HANDLE ALL OF THAT PLUS THE PHONE CALLS THAT COME IN. BUT I THINK THE PHONE CALLS DISTRACT THEM MORE THAN ANYTHING FROM PROCESSING WHAT THEY HAVE. SO THAT WOULD BE A GREAT HELP.
THAT PHONE SYSTEM. WHEN I HEARD THAT ON THE COMMISSIONERS MEETING PRIOR, I WAS LIKE ECSTATIC THAT THAT WOULD HELP TREMENDOUSLY IF WE HAD THAT. OKAY. ALSO, THANK YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A KIOSK. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BIG HELP TOO. I COULD BE WRONG, BUT FOR THEM, INSTEAD OF TAKING ALL THAT TIME AT THE WINDOW, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS WHEN THEY WALK IN HAVING A KIOSK? I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT ONE SO WELL. THAT'S SOMETHING I JUST THREW OUT JUST NOW. WE WE HAVE IT AT THE TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. WE HAVE IT AT THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE. I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYONE THAT'S GOTTEN A NEW KIOSK THAT'S BEEN UNHAPPY WITH HOW IT FACILITATES THAT. TAKE A NUMBER. IS THAT A TAKE A NUMBER KIOSK WE DON'T HAVE? YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE COME INTO OUR OFFICE THAT THAT THEY NEED NUMBERS. USUALLY WE MAY HAVE TWO IN THERE AT THE SAME TIME. WELL, BUT IF WE HAVE A KIOSK THAT YOU CAN ENTER YOUR CITATION NUMBER, YOU CAN ENTER THAT WOULD AND PAY FOR IT. THAT THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING. I'M SORRY I MISUNDERSTOOD. I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT YOU MEANT WERE TO HAVE A KIOSK OR SOMETHING THERE WHERE THEY COULD JUST GO TO THAT INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE WINDOW TO PAY.
OR DO I THINK THAT WOULD HELP SOME? AND WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE WHERE THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF A CITATION ON THE WEBSITE IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO THAT. OKAY. IT'S A MATTER OF WE HAVE TO HAVE THE PLEA IN ORDER FOR THEM TO PROCESS THAT. AND BUT THAT'S AVAILABLE NOW. IT'S JUST GETTING THEM TO THAT RESOURCE WHERE THEY'LL USE IT APPROPRIATELY. RIGHT? WELL, ALL OF US DEAL WITH CALLS ALL, ALL DAY OF AND I, I, WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THE CONVERSATION GOES THE SAME. HEY, I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS. OKAY. WHO'S THE JUDGE? I DON'T KNOW WHO'S YOUR LAWYER? I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DON'T HAVE MY CITATION NUMBER.
WHY DID YOU CALL ME? ALL RIGHT, THAT'S IT. SO THERE'S. I'M SYMPATHETIC BECAUSE WE ALL GET THE SAME CALLS OF THERE'S. THEY HAVE NO INFORMATION. THEY JUST KNOW THEIR NAME. AND. AND I'LL GIVE YOU A PRIME EXAMPLE. THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE DOWNSTAIRS THAT HAD TAX FORM THEIR REGISTRATION. AND IT HAS CLEARLY ON THERE WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO AND THEY'RE HERE INSTEAD OF OVER AT THE NEW TAX OFFICE. SO IT'S A MATTER OF, OF THIS CONSTITUENT TAKING THE TIME TO READ WHAT'S IN FRONT OF THEM AND, AND GETTING THEM TO THE RIGHT LOCATION. BUT I MEAN, YES, SIR. SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO WE'RE FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE THERE, JUDGE NORTON. YEAH, BUT I DON'T MIND HELPING PEOPLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO HELP YOURSELF TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. I MEAN, WE'RE HERE TO HELP AS BEST WE CAN. SO, JUDGE NORTON, GOING BACK TO TO JUDGE'S QUESTION, WHAT PERCENT THOUGH OF I MEAN, ARE YOU WENT IN AND YOU DID REAL GOOD BETWEEN THE
[00:15:03]
CRIMINAL AND THE AND THE CIVIL AND AND THE TWO THE TWO DIFFERENT CLERKS. BUT WHAT PERCENT OF A DAY IS, IS TAKEN UP BY THOSE TYPE OF ACTIVITIES? MAN, I WISH THEY WERE HERE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THEY CAN ANSWER THAT BETTER THAN I CAN. I MEAN, THE, THE JUST THE PHONE TRAFFIC IN ITSELF IS, IS IT TAKES UP, I'D SAY PROBABLY 50, MAYBE A LITTLE LESS THAN 50%. BUT YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CRIMINAL CITATIONS. AND HOW SHOULD I TAKE CARE OF MY CITATION? YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO SEND THIS POLICE SHEET, YOU KNOW, HERE, WE'LL EMAIL THIS TO YOU. YOU NEED TO SEND IT BACK TO THE COURT. YOU KNOW, ALL THIS INFORMATION. IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION FOR THEM TO TO PROCESS. SOMETIMES WE'LL THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE OR THAT WE WILL HAVE IT. IT'S, IS IT GOING TO ANSWER THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS WITHOUT A PERSON GETTING ON THE PHONE? I DON'T THINK IT DOES THAT. I THINK IT JUST ANSWERS ENOUGH QUESTIONS TO ROUTE THEM TO THE PROPER PERSON. I DON'T SEE IT REALLY REDUCING A TON OF PHONE TRAFFIC. I SEE IT GETTING THE PERSON TO YOU QUICKER. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO ANSWER, WHAT DO I HOW DO I PAY THIS OR WELL, IT CAN EXPLAIN THE WEBSITE. IT COULD EXPLAIN IF YOU HAVE A TICKET, YOU CAN GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND, AND FILL IN BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. AND I MEAN, IT COULD DO ALL OF THAT. YEAH, IT COULD DIRECT THEM TO THE WEBSITE. THAT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS. YEAH, YEAH. BECAUSE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE OF HOW TO TAKE CARE OF, TAKE CARE OF A CITATION. SO THAT INFORMATION IS ALREADY AVAILABLE. IT'S JUST GETTING THEM TO THAT, THAT LOCATION ON THE WEBSITE, BECAUSE MOST OF THEM DON'T GET THAT INFORMATION ON THEIR TICKET. THEY SAY, HERE, YOU NEED TO CONTACT THE COURT AND THEY HAVE A PHONE NUMBER AND THAT'S WHAT THEY USE. SO THEY CALL THAT PHONE NUMBER, CORRECT? YEAH. IF THEY IF THEY PUT THE WEBSITE ON THERE, IT WOULD PROBABLY CORRECT. THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO CONTACT THE COURT. CAN WE ALTER THOSE TICKETS? THERE ARE CERTAIN STATE THAT THE LAW, I BELIEVE, SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW. THEY HAVE TO CONTACT THE COURT, AND THEY USUALLY GIVE THAT PHONE NUMBER. I'D HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT ONCE AGAIN. WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. I THINK THERE'S SOME SOME CRITERIA THERE THAT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BOUND BY LAW. YEAH. IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME IF THE STATE'S NOT REQUIRING. YEAH.REQUIRING THE INEFFICIENCY OF YOUR I MEAN IF, IF IF THEY'RE IF THEY'RE BEING REQUIRED TO CONTACT THE COURT BY THAT PHONE NUMBER AND AT THAT ADDRESS, THEY CAN COME IN PERSON. SO THAT INFORMATION CAN BE GIVEN TO THEM ON A ANSWERING, YOU KNOW, FOR CRIMINAL CITATION, PRESS ONE. IT GIVES THEM THE INFORMATION, DIRECTS THEM TO HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT ON THE WEBSITE. I MEAN, IF WE STILL HAD TO TALK TO THEM, IT'S FINE, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT DIRECTS THEM TO IT GIVES THEM THE OPTION TO GET TO FOR SELF HELP TO THE INFORMATION FOR SELF HELP. POTENTIALLY IT COULD BE REDUCE A GOOD PERCENTAGE. IT COULD, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DO THAT. ALL RIGHT. WHAT ELSE FOR US I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. I LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE. SO SO I'LL I'LL JUMP IN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS DISCUSSED KIND OF PRIOR.
AND I KNOW THAT IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE KIND OF OFF THE MAGISTRATE COURT, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET THE COURT KNOW THAT ACCORDING TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 54, THIS HAS TO BE LEGISLATIVE ACTION. COMMISSIONERS. COURTS DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY TO CREATE MAGISTRATE COURTS. I LEARNED THAT IN THE MEANTIME, EVERY SINGLE MAGISTRATE COURT IS DONE IN THIS, AND NONE OF THEM ARE DONE THE SAME. SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES A COUNTY CLERK TO CLERK. SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES A DISTRICT CLERK TO CLERK. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A CLERK. IT'S. THEY'RE ALL COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM EVERY COUNTY THAT HAS A MAGISTRATE COURT. SO IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THE COUNTIES GO TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AND SAY, I NEED A MAGISTRATE COURT, AND HERE'S HOW WE WANT TO RUN THE COURT. AND THEN THEY PUT IT IN INTO WRITING. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MAGISTRATE COURT, YOUR JP'S ARE BASICALLY THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN MAGISTRATE. SO. WELL. AND AND THE COUNTY JUDGE. I DID KNOW THAT. I DID KNOW THAT THERE'S THERE'S. AND SO I WOULD ADD MUNICIPAL COURTS CAN ALSO THEIR MAGISTRATES AS WELL.
MAGISTRATE FOR THE COUNTY. OKAY. YEAH. GOTCHA. BUT THEY CAN. MAGISTRATE. YES, YES. BUT AS FAR AS FOR THE COUNTIES AND INVOLVEMENT, I MEAN, WE COULD TAKE A DEEPER DIVE, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT OUR GENERAL UNDERSTANDING IS. WELL, WE STARTED A LITTLE EARLY AND I THINK YOU MISSED THAT. WE WE'VE. YEAH. NO, I KNOW SEVERAL OF US HAVE LOST APPETITE FOR THE. I FIGURED YOU DID. I WAS GETTING MY COPIES PRINTED. YEAH. THANK YOU. AND IT'S STILL NOT OUT OF THE PICTURE. I MEAN, WE STILL HAVE TO LOOK AT SOLVING THE PROBLEM WE HAVE NOW. BUT THEN LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM WE'RE GOING TO HAVE NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT, BECAUSE THE
[00:20:02]
GROWTH I MEAN, IF IT TRULY IS JUST THE NUMBERS, THERE'S MORE PEOPLE IN, THERE'S MORE CASES.THERE'S THERE'S JUST MORE THAN, YEAH, MAYBE A PERSON IS THE SOLUTION. BUT WHEN THE, THE, THE GROWTH CHART CONTINUES TO GO LIKE THIS, WELL, AT SOME POINT, ONE PERSON. ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE OUT OF SPACE. THAT'S SOMETHING. NOW WE GOT A DIFFERENT DECISION TO MAKE IN TWO YEARS. WE WE NEED ANOTHER PERSON. DO WE NEED TO TAKE HAVE A COURT CLERK'S OFFICE THAT ALL THE CLERKS ARE ASSIGNED OUT OF THE COURT CLERK'S OFFICE? I MEAN, WHAT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO HANDLE IT? AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. SO WE'VE GOT WE GOT SHORT TERM PROBLEMS AND WE HAVE LONG TERM. I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE LONG TERM ISSUES SOLVING THE SHORT TERM PROBLEM. ONE THING THAT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, I WENT TO THE OFFICE BEFORE I CAME HERE, AND MY NUMBERS MIGHT BE A LITTLE OFF, BUT TALKING TO HER, I WAS LIKE, HOW IS OUR E FILE COMING IN? AND SHE SAID THERE WAS A HUNDRED AND 150, 160 IN E FILED THIS MORNING. AND SHE'S LIKE, I FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO 90. I'M I'M TRYING. WHAT IS E FILE? EXPLAIN THAT. SO THAT'S WHERE THEY FILE ANYTHING FOR MOSTLY CIVIL I GUESS. AND FOR INSTANCE, DEBT CLAIMS CONTINUANCES. RECEIVERSHIPS SMALL CLAIMS. YEAH. ANY ANYTHING. SO IT'S DONE ONLINE I GUESS FILE. OKAY. SO I'M COMING TO THE WINDOW AND HANDING YOU THEIR MOTION OR PETITION.
THEY'RE FILING ELECTRONICALLY. AND WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT? DO WE HAVE TO PRINT THAT SCAN THAT, PUT IT INTO TYLER OR WE JUST IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION. I WOULDN'T YEAH, WE DON'T WE DON'T PRINT THEM. IT'S IN TYLER ELECTRONICALLY. THEY'RE JUST MOVING IT IN AND GIVING IT A CASE FILE. I WAS HOPING THAT'S AND AND GETTING IT SET TO WHERE WE CAN GET IT ON THE DOCKET.
THERE'S A PROCESS THERE FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE, BUT THEY HAVE TO TOUCH IT PHYSICALLY AND MOVE IT TO WHERE IT'S MOVED TO THE RIGHT LOCATION. AND I'LL BE HONEST, I'M, I'M, I'M MOVING MORE TOWARDS PAPERLESS. THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THOUGH, THAT I STILL AM LIKE, HEY, WE DID THIS.
CAN I, CAN I SEE THAT REAL QUICK? BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE TEACHING ME MORE AND I'M DOING A LOT MORE. AND WE WERE TALKING EARLIER TOO, THAT WE NEED TO GET ALL OUR BACK. ALSO, ALL OUR STUFF THAT'S IN STORAGE NEEDS TO BE SCANNED IN. WE ARE COMPLETELY FULL IN STORAGE. I DON'T KNOW, WE CAN'T PUT ANYTHING ELSE IN, IN THERE ANYMORE IN OUR STORAGE ROOM.
AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE PACKED TO THE TOP TOO. SO THAT'S A TEMP POSITION, YOU KNOW, OR GETTING PROFILED. CORRECT, CORRECT. CORRECT. YEAH. THERE'S GRANTS. YEAH. GETTING THINGS CONVERTED TO ELECTRONIC FILE AND GETTING RID OF STUFF IS. YEAH, THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER ANIMAL. YEAH. YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF FUNDS AT YOUR DISPOSAL. DO ANY OF THEM QUALIFY CO FILE TO GO IN THERE AND DO RECORDS MANAGEMENT STUFF. WASN'T ME ANSWER TO THAT. BUT I CAN I CAN CHECK. YEAH. BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO REALLY LOOK AT DOING THAT BECAUSE THEY CAN COME THROUGH AND SCAN ALL THAT IN FOR YOU. OKAY. AND WE ARE, AND THEY'RE ALREADY ON PURCHASING AGREEMENTS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. AND WE ALREADY USE THEM IN SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS. I GUESS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M SEEING IS PROBABLY BECAUSE I'M TOO MUCH OF A NUMBERS GUY AND I DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THE ONLY COURTS THAT ARE OUT OF PROPORTION, IF YOU JUST LOOK AT A COMPLETE PROPORTIONALITY OF NUMBERS, IS FOUR AND THREE THREE FOR TRAFFIC TICKETS AND FOUR FOR CIVIL. ALMOST ALL OTHER TYPES OF CASES ARE ABOUT THE SAME THROUGH MOST OF THE COURTS. AND SO IF WE GO, OKAY, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO GO AND GIVE EVERYONE ANOTHER FULL TIME PERSON. YOU'RE STILL SEEING A DISPROPORTIONALITY OF PRECINCT THREE AND PRECINCT FOUR FOR THOSE SORTS OF ADDITIONAL CASES.
SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO DETERMINE HOW DO WE TREAT THAT BECAUSE THEY AREN'T ALL EQUAL AND THEIR CASELOADS ARE NOT ALL EQUAL. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT TWO AND THREE, I MEAN ONE AND TWO, I MEAN THEY'RE UP. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEFEND YOURSELF.
YOUR CASES ARE UP. WE KNOW THAT. BUT BUT THEY'RE UP ON EVERYBODY. AND THEN YOU JUST HAVE, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC TICKETS AND PRECINCT THREE AND YOU HAVE DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF CIVIL AND PRECINCT FOUR. SO I GUESS KIND OF THE, THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH IT IS IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE WOULD ATTEMPT TO TRY TO HELP THOSE COURTS MORE, NO MATTER WHAT OUR ISSUES ARE, BECAUSE THE NUMBERS BEAR OUT THAT THERE IS JUST A LOT MORE GOING ON IN THOSE TWO COURTS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. AND IT COULD CHANGE YEAR TO YEAR. I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T REALLY KNOW, LIKE LONG TERM PLANNING AND LONG TERM STRATEGY. BUT IN MY MIND, IF WE SIT THERE AND GO, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE EVERY JP A FULL TIME CLERK. WELL, WE'RE STILL ALSO JUST IGNORING THE FACT THAT THREE AND FOUR ARE GETTING
[00:25:04]
KILLED ON THOSE TWO TYPES OF CITATIONS. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DIDN'T HELP THE SITUATION, BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF WORK IN THOSE TWO COURTS THAT THE OTHER COURTS JUST DON'T HAVE. AND THOSE HAPPEN TO BE THE TWO COURTS THAT ALSO SEE TRUANCY. AGREED.YEAH, I THINK PART OF IT IS. WE NEED TO RELY ON THE JUDGES TO GIVE US THEIR BEST OPINION ON WHAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR OFFICES. THEY SEE IT EVERY DAY AND JUST AND WE NEED TO TRUST WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. THERE'S NOT ANY OF THEM THAT DON'T WANT TO BE MORE EFFICIENT THAN THEY THAN THEY ARE TODAY. AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REASON FOR SOME OF THE DISPARITY IN IN DEBT CLAIMS AND EVICTIONS, AND IT WAS WITH THE WAY THE LINES WERE DRAWN IN THE LAST REDISTRICTING, REDISTRICTING THAT WERE, IN MY OPINION, DONE TERRIBLY AND NOT DONE RIGHT FOR FOR REALLY STRANGE REASONS. AND THOSE NEED TO BE FIXED THE NEXT TIME AROUND, WHICH WILL FIX SOME OF THE DISPARITY. THAT'S THE REASON ONE IS SLOW AND TWO IS BUSY FOR RENT. AND THAT ONE'S NOT SLOW, BUT SLOWER THAN TWO BECAUSE THEY THE WAY THEY DREW THE LINES MADE ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE. THAT'LL BE FIXED IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT'S A WAYS AWAY FROM NOW. IT CAN BE REALLY COULD BE DONE ANY TIME. WE COULD ADDRESS THAT AT ANY TIME.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK INTO, BECAUSE ONE SHOULD COME FARTHER TOWARDS DOWNTOWN AND TAKE ON SOME OF THE APARTMENTS THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TODAY TO KEEP TWO FROM HAVING EVERY APARTMENT IN THE COUNTY. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THREE, THREE HAS THE HIGHWAY.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY MARK RUSSO IS GETTING JUDGE RUSSO IS GETTING HAMMERED WITH TICKETS IS BECAUSE HE'S GOT 30. SO ALMOST THE WHOLE HIGHWAY, ALMOST ALL OF IT. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY SOME OF IT WE DID DO OURSELVES AND NONE OF US WERE HERE WHEN THAT HAPPENED.
BUT SOME OF THAT WAS DONE. WE DID TO OURSELVES BY REDRAWING LINES FOR POLITICAL REASONS VERSUS REDRAWING THEM FOR EFFICIENCY. SO MAYBE WE CAN ADDRESS THAT AT SOME POINT, AND THAT WILL HELP EVEN OUT SOME OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE OFFICES. AND, AND MAYBE WE DON'T, BUT THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE HAVE TO GO SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, IS TO ADDRESS HOW THESE LINES ARE DRAWN SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO STAFF THESE OFFICES PROPERLY, AND WE CAN GIVE THESE JUDGES A CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR BUSINESS FLOW BETTER. AND LIKE YOU SAID, IT MAY NOT BE THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS A FULL TIME PERSON, BUT WE JUST AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE'S GOING TO HOLD UNLESS WE REDRAW THE LINES. AND EVEN THEN WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY. AND I CAN I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR CLERKS HELP EACH OTHER, ESPECIALLY MINE AND LEANNE'S COURT. THEY WORK TOGETHER BACK AND FORTH FROM OFFICE TO OFFICE WHEN THEY NEED HELP. AND SO I MEAN, THERE THERE IS A TEAMWORK ATMOSPHERE THERE. SO GOOD. YEAH. THAT MAKES ME HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
AND COMMISSIONER GALVAN, I AGREE WITH YOU. AND I'VE SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TEN YEARS. AND I'M SURE THAT'S DOWN THE HALL AS WELL. BUT I'LL LET HIM SPEAK TO THAT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE REQUIRED EVERY TEN YEARS BUT THREE. AND IT'S HUGE SIZE WHEN IT WHEN THE DEVELOPMENTS REALLY GET GOING AND THEY ARE GOING, WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT OF WHACK. WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT OF COMPLIANCE. I WANT TO GET BIGGER, BIGGER YOU BETTER IDEAS TO TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE COUNTY. YEAH. THREE IS GOING TO TAKE OVER THE COUNTY. I SEE IT IN HIS EYES. THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE SOMETIMES. AND ALSO I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT WITH THE POPULATION, WE DID RECEIVE A WAIVER ON THE COLLECTIONS PROGRAM. STATUTORILY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE COLLECTIONS THAT IS GOING TO COME BACK INTO PLAY WITH THE. EXPLAIN THAT TO ME. RECEIVED A WAIVER ORIGINALLY. WE HAD WHEN WE FIRST CAME IN, WE HAD A COLLECTION PROGRAM THROUGH THE DISTRICT CLERKS, AND THEY WOULD GO TO THE COLLECTION PERSON, MAKE PAYMENTS, AND THEY HANDLE THAT APPROXIMATELY. I THINK IT WAS 2016. I MIGHT BE WRONG. THAT WAS DONE AWAY WITH. AND WE GOT RID OF THAT PROGRAM AND WE GOT RID OF THAT AND IT WENT TO A STATUTORILY WENT BACK TO US DOING THAT COLLECTION PLAN AND THE, AND THE PAYMENT PLANS. NOW IT WAS CHANGED TO A POPULATION OF 125 IN THE COUNTY. SO AT THE NEXT CENSUS, THAT POPULATION BRACKET SHOULD MAKE THAT A REQUIRED COLLECTIONS PROGRAM AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE EXCEEDED AND THAT'LL SEND IT BACK TO THE DISTRICT CLERK. IT. FROM ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, I BELIEVE THAT IS CORRECT. SO THAT'LL TAKE THAT OFF. OFF YOUR PLATE. HOW MANY CAN'T BE THAT MUCH PEOPLE. IT'S NOT THAT MUCH, BUT I THINK THE IMPACT. BUT AGAIN IT'S A REQUIREMENT. SO THAT'S A COUNTY ISSUE THAT WILL FINANCIALLY COME IN AND REAR ITS HEAD. AGAIN WE'RE WE'RE AT 150. WE'LL BE NORTH OF 150 BY THE END OF THE YEAR. SO SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW. THAT IS TECHNICALLY YES. IS IT A SMALL COST SAVINGS? BUT WE ABSORB THAT AND WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. I THINK ALL OUR COURTS ARE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB AT THAT,
[00:30:05]
BUT THAT THESE ARE THINGS I JUST WANT YOU TO KEEP IN MIND THAT AS CHANGES IN POPULATION AND THAT'S WHAT'S IMPACTING US, IT'S THE POPULATION, MORE APARTMENTS. WE HAVE MORE MOVING UP AND BUILDING UP. AND AND THOSE EVICTIONS ARE CREATING FASTER TIMELINES. THIS PROCESS.NOW WE CAN MOVE AS FAST AS FIVE DAYS ON EVICTION, WHICH IS A STRAIN ON OUR CONSTABLES. NOW, FIVE DAYS FROM FILING. YES, BECAUSE DOING E FILE CORRECT, SHOWING SERVICE. AND THEN FIVE DAYS LATER YOU THEN YOU HAVE SIX DAYS ON THE BACKSIDE BEFORE YOU CAN. YOU CAN'T HEAR IT BEFORE SIX DAYS. YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM SIX DAYS REMEDY TIME THERE. THERE'S A REMEDY TIME.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MORE LIKE 14 FROM START TO FINISH AS QUICK AS WE CAN. SO THAT IS IT WAS 21. NOW IT'S 14 IS THE FASTEST WE COULD PROCESS IT. AND THAT'S WITH SUMMARY DISPOSITION, WHICH MEANS THERE'S NOT A CONTEST. AND THAT'S A PART OF THE SQUATTER BILL. SO THEY'RE MAKING US MOVE FASTER AS WELL. AND THAT'S PART OF THE STRESS WHEN YOU HAVE FROM INTAKE. AND WE SAW AN UPTAKE WHEN WE WENT TO FILING THE RECEIVERSHIPS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE WE'VE MOVED INTO A TECHNOLOGY AGE, WE'RE GETTING FASTER FILINGS.
WE'RE IN THE OLD DAYS, IT WOULD TAKE MAYBE A WEEK TO GET A FILING. NOW THEY'RE GETTING IT QUICK AND WE'RE GETTING JUDGMENTS BACK. SO OUR STAFF OF TWO PEOPLE AND TWO AND A HALF IS WORKING HARDER AND FASTER THAN THEY DID PREVIOUSLY, BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING CASES FASTER. ARE THEY WORKING ANY OVERTIME? WE ARE. WE DO NOT WORK OVERTIME UNLESS AN EMERGENCY. NOW, THIS PAST MONTH I HAD A MEDICAL EMERGENCY IN MY OFFICE. I WENT DOWN TO ONE MEMBER BECAUSE I HAD ONE OUT FOR A BIRTH, AND THEN I HAD MY MY CHIEF CLERK WENT OUT FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. I WAS DOWN, SO WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN WITH ONE PERSON. AND LEGALLY THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO. RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE WORKING THE BEST THROUGH IT, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY STRESSED. AND BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU WITH CONFIDENCE, JUSTICE IS NOT GETTING DELAYED. I'M COMING IN DOING EXTRA. I'M ASKING HOW I CAN HELP. I, I STAY IN AND AND TRY TO YOU KNOW, I'VE STAYED LATE AND TRIED TO DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP MY STAFF WHENEVER IT'S REQUIRED. ABOVE AND BEYOND. THAT'S WHAT WE BELIEVE IN THE PRECINCT, ALL OF YOU. I MEAN, I LOVE THAT FIRST AND FOREMOST IS JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE. AND IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT. AND WE DO. AND HER STAFF HELPED PITCH IN. RAQUEL WAS JUST AMAZING. YOU KNOW, TANDY, WHEN I MEAN, WE WE DO HAVE A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL THE CHIEF CLERKS, ALL THE JPS JUST WHEN WE HAVE A TIME IN OUR SHORT. IF WE'RE BURNED OUT, WE WE COVER FOR EACH OTHER. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO. AND THE OTHER THING BY THE MODEL IS UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE ALSO SAVING THE COUNTY MONEY BECAUSE WE'RE SHARING A COURTROOM. THAT EXPENSE WOULD BE A LOT MORE IF WE WERE OUT IN OUR DISTRICT. AND WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH A CONSTRAINTS BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE BASICALLY TWO AND A HALF DAYS TO THREE DAYS PER COURT IN A WEEK. SO WE'RE REALLY WORKING AS A TEAM TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER'S SCHEDULES AND TO MAXIMIZE OUR EFFICIENCY WITHIN OUR LIMITATIONS. IS IT STATUTORILY POSSIBLE TO HAVE ALL OF THE PAPERWORK THAT COMES IN, ALL THE FILINGS COME TO A CENTRALIZED CLERK OFFICE, AND THEN HAVE THAT CLERK DISPENSE IT TO THE JP? NO, TILL SOME OF THEM ARE PRECINCT SPECIFIC. THEY HAVE TO BE FILED IN THE PRECINCT. WELL, BUT IF WE HAVE CLERKS, YOU KNOW, SAY WE HAVE HALF A DOZEN CLERKS, THAT THAT'S THEIR JOB. WHERE WHERE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT CLERKS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COUNTY CLERK. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE DISTRICT CLERK? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IN OUR OFFICE? I'M TALKING ABOUT THE GENERIC CLERK. YEAH, OKAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I'M TRYING TO SEE IF GETTING LIKE, A CLERK STAFFING OFFICE WHERE EVERYTHING COMES THROUGH THE CLERKS AND NOT TWO HERE, THREE HERE, TWO HERE. BECAUSE EACH COURT IS SET UP WITH THEIR OWN E-FILE SYSTEM THROUGH. OKAY, SO MINE IS DIFFERENT FROM HIS. IT HAS IT UNDERSTAND THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOMEBODY TRAINED TO BE THE THE FUNNEL. IT ALL COMES THROUGH FOR ALL OF THEM. THEY GET IT. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S POSSIBLE, JUDGE, BECAUSE WE'RE EACH STATUTORY OUR OWN COURTS AND THOSE CLERKS WORK FOR US AND ARE SWORN UNDER US. THEY WORK FOR THE COURT. AND SO IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE ELSE THAT DOESN'T, I THINK IT CREATES A PROBLEM STATUTORILY. AGAIN, I HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER THEIR CLERKS. IF THEY DO SOMETHING, CERTAIN SIGNAGE THEY CAN'T DO NOW, THEY CAN TAKE A PAPERWORK AND HOLD IT, BUT THEY CAN'T PROCESS IT ON ON OUR BEHALF BECAUSE THEIR CLERKS DO NOT WORK FOR ME. ARE THERE ANY COUNTIES THAT DO IT THAT WAY? NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF AT THIS TIME. I MEAN, I CAN DO A RESEARCH ON THAT AND WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE SO. THE ONLY THING I KNOW WHERE THERE WAS A COMBINATION WAS WICHITA FALLS AND REGISTRATION. THEY DID DO MAGISTRATE AS A CENTRAL
[00:35:04]
ADMINISTRATION, AND THEY HAD A JUDGE WHO HANDLED IT AND THEY ROTATED THAT JUDGE, BUT THAT STAFF WORKED UNDER THAT BUDGET OF THAT JUDGE, AND THAT'S HOW THEY HANDLED THAT. AND WICHITA FALLS WELL, AND AGAIN, I HAVE NO IDEA. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF, IF WE TOOK ALL THE CLERKING AWAY AND YOU JUST HAD TO WORRY ABOUT BEING A JUDGE AND YOU JUST HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEING A JUDGE. AND THEY YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. BUT NO, I DON'T I DON'T THINK IT ALLOWS FOR THAT. WELL, I MEAN, WE HAVE THAT NOW WITH THE TWO CLERKS THAT WE HAVE. I MEAN, THEY'RE DOING THE CLERK JOB AND WE'RE DOING THE JUDGE JOB. SO I MEAN IF YOU DID A CENTRAL ONE, I DON'T I MEAN, YOU BASICALLY HAVE THE SAME. IT WOULD BE JUST ME CHASING EFFICIENCIES IS WHAT IT WOULD BE. RIGHT. WELL, AND, AND THE OTHER PROBLEM THAT YOU WOULD HAVE IF YOU HAD THAT IS I THINK YOU DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE AN ISSUE, BUT IT COULD BECOME A JUDGE SHOPPING TYPE ISSUE. IS THAT CLERK PUSHING CERTAIN THINGS TO CERTAIN JUDGES? IF THERE ARE SOME ISSUES, I THINK THAT COME WITH THAT. AGAIN, I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING TODAY ABOUT IT. BUT I THINK STATUTORILY, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. YEAH, YOU'RE MOST LIKELY RIGHT. A LOT OF MY BEST IDEAS ARE RUINED BY STATUTE. DONALD. LEGISLATURE. WELL, OKAY. ON THE COURTROOM AND I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE COURT MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF DAYS A WEEK OR, YOU KNOW, USING FRIDAY. I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DO, BUT COULD YOU HOLD THAT COURT IN ANOTHER AVAILABLE ROOM OR DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT THERE? LIKE, COULD YOU WE HAVE AN EXTRA COURTROOM. WE CAN USE THIS COURTROOM, FOR EXAMPLE. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. BECAUSE IF WE COULD KIND OF SPLIT YOU AND EVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS, MAYBE WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE WHERE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR OWN COURTROOM. IF WE CAN SAY THE COURTROOM NEXT TO THE OFFICE NOW IS FOR, YOU KNOW, IS FOR FOUR AND YOUR COURTROOM IS NOW HERE FOR ONE, MAYBE I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF IT HELPS ANYTHING, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, IN MY EXPERIENCE, WE'VE USED THE AUXILIARY COURTROOM ALREADY FOR JURY TRIALS. IT WORKS PERFECT FOR JURY TRIALS. SO WE SCHEDULE THAT IF IT'S AVAILABLE, WE WE HAVE THE COORDINATOR'S INFORMATION. WE WE JUST SEND AN EMAIL. IS IT AVAILABLE? WE SCHEDULE IT AND IT'S WORKING GREAT. SO YEAH, WE COULD ABSOLUTELY. IF I HAD SOMETHING POP UP THAT I NEEDED ANOTHER COURTROOM BECAUSE IT'S ON A TUESDAY OR THURSDAY THAT SHE HAS IT, I COULD ABSOLUTELY SCHEDULE SOMETHING IF IT'S AVAILABLE IN THE AUXILIARY COURTROOM UNTIL WE GET A COUNTY COURT AT LAW. AGAIN, AN ADDED ONE. BUT YEAH, IT WORKS VERY WELL. SO YES, ANOTHER THING I WOULD TELL YOU THAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT WE HAVE THE TWO COURTROOMS, BUT JUDGE, THINGS HAPPEN. I KNOW THAT I HAVE ONE TIME I'VE HANDLED ALL FOUR COURTS IN THE SAME DAY, RUNNING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE COURTS, AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED RECENTLY. THAT WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO. YEAH. BUT WE'VE LITERALLY HAD THAT HAPPEN WHERE WE'RE USING TWO COURTROOMS, ONE JUDGE RUNNING BETWEEN THE TWO TRYING TO MANAGE AND HELP OUT THE OTHER JUDGES BECAUSE OF ILLNESS OR WHATEVER. AND IT HAPPENS. IT JUST HAPPENS. BUT I THINK THE OTHER PROBLEM THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TIMING OF IT, SOMETIMES DEPENDING ON THE CASE, DEPENDS WHAT IT IS BECAUSE OF OURSELVES AND WHAT WE'RE BRINGING OVER, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY, BUT I'VE ALSO LOOKED AT TRYING TO DO SATURDAY COURT, BUT BECAUSE OUR SECURITY, THE PROBLEM IS WE COULD GO LONGER ON OUR COURTS. TWO BUT BECAUSE OF OUR COURT SECURITY, THAT THAT'S OUR THAT'S ONE OF OUR ISSUES. NOT THAT COST IS THE OVERRIDING ISSUE, BUT MAN, THAT THAT HAVING AN OFF DAY LIKE THAT, THAT THAT THAT STARTS GETTING INTO OVERTIME. I THINK JUDGE RUSSO WOULD BE A PERFECT NIGHT COURT JUDGE. I'M TELLING YOU, NO, DON'T THINK WE JOKE THAT ACTUALLY WAS ON THE PLAN. AND WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT DOING SATURDAY COURT, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT. THERE ARE COURTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE DOING CENTER COURT AND NIGHT COURT. WE DON'T I MEAN, AGAIN, IF I COULD GET THE DOCKET DONE AND I COULD DO IT, I MEAN, AGAIN, THAT WOULD ALSO BE STAFFING AND THAT'S CLERK STAFFING AND OVERTIME. SO WE'RE I KNOW THAT IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE IT, BUT I REALLY BELIEVE WITH ALL FOUR OF THE JUDGES WE CURRENTLY HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING OUR DOCKET IN THE SENSE OF USING OUR COURTROOM AND OUR COURTHOUSE, WE ARE USING IT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY TOGETHER AS A TEAM.AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT. WELL, AND LIKE WHAT I SAID EARLIER, WE WE HAVE BANDWIDTH TO EXPAND IN MY IN MY SITUATION, I HAVE BANDWIDTH TO EXPAND MY DOCKET. SO I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I DON'T YEAH. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK WE'RE ALL JUST WRESTLING AND ALL OF US BEING THE WHOLE COLLECTIVE OF. ALL RIGHT. WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS? THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS. ARE YOU GUYS WE'RE HERE. LIKE I
[00:40:05]
SAID, I'M HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. WELL, YOU ALL MAKE A DECISION. THAT BEING THE CASE AT* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.