Judges in Harris County are advocating for the establishment of seven additional non-felony district courts in order to alleviate the region’s ongoing backlog of cases, which they claim has been exacerbated by the area’s rapid population expansion and scarce resources.
Three new civil courts, three family courts, and one juvenile court are all part of the proposed expansion. The lack of non-felony courts has resulted in higher legal fees and longer case resolution times, according to Judge Latosha Lewis Payne, administrative judge for the county’s 67 district courts.
According to Payne, the county’s judicial system is still overburdened because no new non-felony district courts have been established in over 50 years, despite the creation of six new felony courts last year.
According to Payne, we wish to promote equilibrium and attend to the requirements of every facet of the Harris County judiciary and the legal system. Every one of our divisions holds equal significance.
According to the Texas Constitution, the establishment of a new district court can only be authorized by the state legislature. A bill must be introduced by lawmakers, passed by them, and signed by the governor. Funding for courtrooms, staff, and other resources must be allotted by county officials after approval.
According to Texas Office of Court Administration data, Harris County’s criminal, civil, family, and juvenile courts received over 150,000 cases in 2023—more than twice as many as Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, and Travis counties combined. This led to an average of 2,466 cases handled by each Harris County court.
According to Payne, it has a direct correlation with the number of people living in the county.
In comparison to Harris County, which has grown to a population of over 4.8 million, the populations of Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, and Travis counties are each less than half, according to U.S. Census data.
The request also follows a 2023 National Center for State Courts research that said Texas needs 75 more judges to handle its increasing caseload. According to the report, 42 of those are required in Harris County alone.
According to Payne, the moment has come to truly bring efficiency, justice, and fairness. Adding a sufficient number of courts is the only way we can accomplish it.
