JUSTICE
OF THE PEACE TO HELP EASE THE
WORKLOAD ON CURRENT JUDGE
MICHAEL SWINGLEY.JUDGE SWINGLEY
CURRENTLY
ATTENDS TO THOUSANDS OF CASES
RANGING FROM CIVIL CASES,
TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT, TO
TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS...IN 2017,
THERE WERE MORE
THAN 3,000 CITATIONS ISSUED THAT
GO THROUGH JUSTICE COURT, AND
OVER A THOUSAND OTHER CIVIL
CASES...BECAUSE OF THE WORKLOAD,
JUDGE SWINGLEY’S COURT ASKED FOR
A PART-TIME JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
TO
HELP...COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
GRANTED THAT REQUEST TODAY BY
VOTING IN FAVOR OF A SECOND
POSITION, SAYING THE CURRENT
SYSTEM IS
BOGGED DOWN...####




{"I WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT AS A
LOG JAM.
THAT’S REALLY WHAT IT IS.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE PROCESS
CAN’T MOVE ANY FASTER THAN
JUSTICE COURT CAN GET PEOPLE IN
TO HEAR THEIR
CASES"}[(***ACURTIS***)]IT WILL
BE TWO YEARS BEFORE A NEW JUDGE
TAKE
OFFICE.BECAUSE THE POSITION IS
ENTIRELY NEW, THE NEXT JUDGE
WILL
NEED TO BE ELECTED RATHER THAN
APPOINTED.THE
NEXT JUDICIAL BALLOT IS IN
2020.###
