[00:00:01]
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
WE'LL TRY TO MAKE THIS AS BRIEF AND THOROUGH AS POSSIBLE, BUT WELCOME YOU TO OUR SUMMER SESSION FOR OUR BUDGET.AND JUSTIN, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE? OKAY. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, SO WE CAN PROCEED.
[3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
CAN I GET AN APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM OUR LAST BUDGET? THOSE IN FAVOR LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING I ANY OPPOSE MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS.[4. NEW BUSINESS]
WE HAVE THREE ITEMS BEFORE US THIS AFTERNOON.JUSTICE STOWERS, YOU RECOGNIZE? YEAH. THANK YOU, MISS MASSEY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO START BY MAKING A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SEND THE 12TH DIVISION REQUEST AND THE 16TH DIVISION REQUEST, WHICH ARE DEPARTMENTS 428 AND 432 TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH THE DUE PASS RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROBABLY SECOND THAT WE APPROVE 428 AND 432.
MS. MASSEY, CAN I EXPOUND WHILE I STILL HAVE THE FLOOR? AND WHY THOSE TWO? OKAY. I WAS GOING TO SEE IF SOMEONE WAS HERE THAT WANTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF.
BUT YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU, MA'AM. SO THE FIRST ONE THAT I MADE A MOTION TO SEND TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH THE DO PASS RECOMMENDATION IS THAT OF JUDGE GRAY'S COURT, AND IT IS PERTAINING TO A STUDENT LAW CLERK AND A SECRETARY AND ACTUALLY A DOWNGRADE.
JUDGE GRAY IS GOING TO SAVE US SOME MONEY.
SO JUDGE GRAY, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
THE SECOND ONE IS 16TH DIVISION JUDGE WELCH.
IT'S A SECRETARY, A NEW POSITION THAT THAT LEGISLATIVELY OUT OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WE ARE MANDATED TO PROVIDE JUDGE WELCH WITH THIS POSITION AS THE COUNTY.
JUDGE WELCH'S IS A NEW POSITION THAT LEGISLATIVELY BASED ON THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WE OWE HIM.
SO I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND DISPENSE, MA'AM, WITH THOSE TWO.
AND THEN HERE THE SEVENTH DIVISION REQUEST FROM JUDGE WHATLEY SEPARATELY, WHICH IS THE INCREASE FOR EXTRA HELP. AND THERE'S SOME SOMETHING IN THE MIX THERE WITH THE BAILIFF.
THANK YOU. WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF BEFORE WE VOTE OR HEAR FROM ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE OF OUR BODY? THERE'D BE NONE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? JUSTIN, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE? I'M SO SORRY.
SO TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE VOTING ON A DO PASS RECOMMENDATION FOR DEPARTMENT 0428 AND 0432 EIGHT AYES. THANK YOU.
THIS WILL GO TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
WE ARE NOW DOWN TO OUR LAST, WHICH IS SEVENTH DIVISION CIRCUIT COURT.
AND IF THERE IS SOMEONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO EXPLAIN TO US WHAT THE REQUEST OR WHY THE REQUEST? I'M SORRY. LETTING ME BE HERE TONIGHT.
I'M JUDGE KAREN WHATLEY, SEVENTH DIVISION CIRCUIT COURT.
[00:05:04]
THE REQUEST BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS KIND OF TWOFOLD, SO I'LL BREAK IT DOWN AS EASILY AS I CAN.THE FIRST PART IS SEVENTH DIVISION CIRCUIT COURT HAS ALWAYS HAD TWO EXTRA HELP POSITIONS.
THERE ARE TWO LADIES THAT WORK IN OUR OFFICE THAT ARE AMAZING.
THEY HELP KEEP MAKING SURE ALL THE NOTICES ARE SENT OUT.
THEY ANSWER THE TELEPHONES, THEY HELP KIND OF SHUTTLE THINGS TO AND FROM COURT.
AND THEY THOSE POSITIONS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
AND SO PART OF THE REQUEST FOR THE FUNDING, I BELIEVE IT'S $9,000 OF THAT AMOUNT.
AND SOME OF THE FRINGE, I SUPPOSE, IS FOR THOSE TWO EXTRA HELP POSITIONS.
THE REASON THAT THERE IS A $9,000 DIFFERENCE FROM WHAT WAS BUDGETED VERSUS WHAT IS NEEDED IN 2022 IS THAT JUDGE SIMS, BEFORE HE LEFT, GAVE THEM A RAISE OF $3 AN HOUR.
AND SO THAT DID NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL 2022, AFTER THE BUDGET FOR 2022 HAD ALREADY BEEN PASSED BY THIS BODY AND THE QUORUM COURT. AND SO THEREFORE WE'RE SHORT $9000 TO BE ABLE TO PAY THOSE TWO EMPLOYEES THE FULL AMOUNT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR. ONE OF THOSE EMPLOYEES ONLY WORKS 24 HOURS A WEEK.
THE OTHER ONE DOES WORK 29 HOURS A WEEK.
I THINK SHE USED TO WORK LESS THAN THAT, BUT HAS INCREASED HER HOURS.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, WE NEED THEM FOR EVERY MOMENT WE CAN GET THEM.
I THINK THE LAST TIME I STOOD BEFORE YOU, I TOLD YOU I WALKED INTO A BACKLOG OF ABOUT 3500 CASES.
WE'VE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
AND ON MARCH 1ST, I THINK I HAD 3500, AND ON JULY 1ST I HAD ABOUT 29, 87.
SO WE ARE MAKING SOME PROGRESS TO GET RID OF THAT BACKLOG.
I CAN ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT PART OR I CAN MOVE TO WHAT THE SECOND PART IS.
I THINK WE MAY HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
JUSTICE STOWERS, YOU RECOGNIZED.
YES, JUDGE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SO DID YOU REFERENCE JUDGE SIMMS? YES. SO YOU TOOK HIS PLACE ON THE BENCH? YES, SIR. AND YOU MENTIONED THAT HE GAVE THESE EMPLOYEES A $3 AN HOUR RAISE AND THERE'S TWO OF THEM.
CORRECT. SO I'M GOING TO ROUND BECAUSE 2080S TIMES THREE.
SO I'M GOING TO DO LET'S JUST DO 7000 TIMES THREE.
I THINK THAT MATH WOULD BE RIGHT.
CORRECT. I'M AN ENGLISH MAJOR, NOT A MATH MAJOR.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING THE POINT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS THAT IF OVER THESE, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE LIMITED AS PART TIME EMPLOYEES TO 29 HOURS, RIGHT? CORRECT. SO 29 TIMES TWO IS 58 TIMES $3 AN HOUR.
THIS IS SIMPLY TO A RAISE THAT WAS GIVEN TO THESE EMPLOYEES AND $3 AN HOUR TIMES THE REST OF THE YEAR IS WHAT GETS YOU TO CLOSURE ON THIS? CORRECT. THE BAILIFF IS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE ISSUE THAT I CAN DISCUSS.
THIS IS JUST WHEN WE GOT STARTED GETTING INTO THE YEAR NOTICE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE 9000 SHORT TO PAY THESE TWO EMPLOYEES FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, ONE AT 24 HOURS A WEEK, ONE AT 29 HOURS A WEEK.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M HAVING TO COME AND ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
OKAY. MS. MASSEY, ON THIS PORTION, I YIELD.
AND THEN FRIDAY WE DO BENCH TRIALS, SENTENCING HEARINGS, BOND HEARINGS, WHATEVER ELSE IS NEEDED.
AND RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF THOSE DEFENDANTS ARE AT PULASKI COUNTY JAIL AND THEY ARE BEING BROUGHT OVER.
THIS KIND OF CAME TO LIGHT WHEN I HAD A ONE OF THE BAILIFFS.
AND SO WE WERE ACTUALLY HAVING TO BORROW BAILIFFS FROM OTHER COURTROOMS AS WE COULD.
[00:10:03]
BUT WHAT THAT ALSO SHOWED ME IS ON DAYS THAT I HAD MORE THAN A COUPLE OF BAILIFFS IN THERE, JUST HOW MUCH MORE SMOOTHLY THINGS RAN.AND I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE AS TO WHY THAT IS IMPORTANT.
THIS PAST THURSDAY, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
WE HAD THE INMATES IN THERE AND THEIR ATTORNEYS WERE TALKING TO THEM AND I WAS CALLING CASES UP.
I HAD A DEFENDANT AND WHO WAS NOT IN CUSTODY AND HIS ATTORNEY IN FRONT OF ME.
AND WE DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO CALL HIM UP NEXT.
AND HIS ATTORNEY WAS OVER TALKING TO HIM AND SHE POINTED TO SOMETHING ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND HE JUST STARTED YELLING AT HER AND BERATING HER, WHICH ONE OF MY BAILIFFS WENT OVER AND SAID, YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN AND YOU NEED TO BE QUIET.
AND THIS DEFENDANT GETS UP AND STARTS PUSHING ON HIM AND FIGHTING HIM.
THE BAILIFF GRABBED HIM, SAT HIM DOWN.
THE THE DEFENDANT STILL KEPT FIGHTING HIM.
MY BAILIFF ENDED UP ON THE FLOOR.
ANOTHER BAILIFF WAS OVER THERE.
HOWEVER, BY GETTING BY BOTH OF THEM LEAVING THE COURTROOM, THAT LEFT ATTORNEYS AND ME WITH A COURTROOM OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING ABOUT 12 IN-CUSTODY DEFENDANTS, THAT LUCKILY THERE WAS A BAILIFF RIGHT DOWN THE HALL WHO IMMEDIATELY HEARD THE RUCKUS AND RAN IN.
BUT HAVING SOMEONE ELSE IN THAT COURTROOM WHILE THE TWO BAILIFFS ARE HAVING TO GET INMATES DOWNSTAIRS, GET INMATES BACK UPSTAIRS TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC THAT COME IN FROM FAMILIES, IT'S JUST IT'S NEEDED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS WOULD NOT BE A FULL TIME BAILIFF.
SO THAT'S WHAT THE OTHER PART OF THE REQUEST IS FOR.
I BELIEVE THAT THE WHOEVER I BELIEVE THAT MS..
WALKER DETERMINED THAT THE SALARY FOR THE PART TIME BAILIFF WOULD BE $37,700 A YEAR.
AND SO TO GET US THROUGH TEN PAY PERIODS, THAT'S WHY WE WOULD NEED THE 14,500.
I BELIEVE JUSTICE STOWERS, YOU RECOGNIZE.
THANK YOU, MA'AM. SO, JUDGE WHATLEY, AM I PRONOUNCING YOUR NAME ONLY? SURE. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S JUDGE WHATLEY.
I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY CALL ME AS LONG AS THEY CALL ME FOR DINNER.
NO, SIR. I'M AN APPOINTED JUDGE.
I TOOK OVER ON MARCH 1ST OF THIS YEAR WHEN JUDGE SIMMS RETIRED.
THE GOVERNOR APPOINTED ME. OKAY, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO WHEN EITHER JUDGE WELCH, WHO'S WITH US TONIGHT OR THE LATE JUDGE VAN SMITH WAS THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH IT WAS, BUT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AND LOOKED AT THE IDEA, THE CONCEPT, THE IDEOLOGY OF TWO OR THREE ROAMING BAILIFFS THAT WOULD BE ON CALL IN PLACE AS NEEDED TO HELP IN THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CONVERSATION WENT.
DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES POSSIBLY REMEMBER THE ROAMING BAILIFF? MR. BLAGG, DO YOU POSSIBLY REMEMBER? UNDERSTOOD. IT WAS KICKED AROUND AS AN IDEA OF HAVING A POOL.
I BELIEVE IS WAS WAS THE IDEA.
AND I'LL CERTAINLY BE WILLING TO DO MY DUE DILIGENCE TO THAT REGARD AS WE MOVE HERE IN THE NEXT 5 TO 6 WEEKS INTO OUR 2023 BUDGET HEARINGS IS TO LOOK AT THAT CONCEPT OF A BAILIFF POOL THAT CAN BE PULLED FROM WHENEVER THERE IS A GREATER NEED IN ONE AREA OR ONE OF THE
[00:15:03]
17 CIRCUITS THAN ANOTHER.SO UNDERSTAND YOUR NEED, THOUGH, THAT'S PRESSING TONIGHT FOR THE REST OF 22.
AND SO HAVING SAID WHAT I SAID AND WANTING TO LOOK AT THAT CONCEPT OF THE POOL, I WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SEND YOUR REQUEST BEFORE US THIS EVENING TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH A DO PASS RECOMMENDATION.
WITH THAT, MS. MASSEY, I YIELD.
SO IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND.
MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE REFERRING TO THE WHOLE REQUEST OR JUST PART OF IT? ALL OF IT? IS THAT WHAT YOU.
MY. THE OTHER PORTION OF MY REQUEST IS NOT FORMAL, IT'S INFORMAL.
AND THAT IS THAT INFORMALLY THAT THIS COMMITTEE LOOK AND HUTCH WITH YOUR HELP.
JUSTIN, WITH YOUR HELP, WHOEVER THE JUDGE HOLMES, WHOEVER THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE IS NOW ACROSS THE STREET, THAT WE CONCEPTUALLY AS A COUNTY LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER.
AND FROM A FROM A CONCEPT PERSPECTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO BAILIFFS.
BUT FOR A SUCCINCT MOTION, ARE YOU JUST SENDING DEPARTMENT ZERO 427 AS IT IS IN ITS ENTIRETY TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT TO DO PASS RECOMMENDATION? IS THAT YOUR MOTION OR ARE YOU DIVIDING THEM? YES, SIR. THAT'S MY THAT'S MY FORMAL MOTION.
YES. TO SEND IT IN ITS ENTIRETY OR DIVIDED? NO TO SENT IT IN IT'S ENTIRETY.
ONCE AGAIN, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROBABLY SECOND THAT WE SEND THE FULL SUPPORT, THE FULL REQUEST, WHICH IS FOR THE PART TIME HELP AS WELL AS FOR THE PART TIME BAILIFF.
JUSTICE CONEY. YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
YEAH, MY ONLY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE SALARY OF A FULL TIME BAILIFF? BETH, YOU KNOW.
58,000. SOMEWHERE IN THEIR UPPER, THEY JUST GOT A RAISE RECENTLY.
I THINK THE QUORUM COURT GAVE THEM A RAISE AND IT WAS BETWEEN 55 AND $60,000 A YEAR.
IS THEIR NORMAL SALARY FOR A FULL TIME..
JUSTICE KEITH, YOU RECOGNIZED.
AND THANK YOU, JUDGE WATLEY, I'M SORRY.
I GOT TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE $37,000 FOR THE END OF THE YEAR.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, THIS LAST.
SO IT WOULD BE MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT WILL BE $29,415 FOR THE, BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE EXTRA HELP FOR THE PART TIME BAILIFF, THE EXTRA HELP DIFFERENCE NEEDED FOR THE TWO CURRENT PART TIME EMPLOYEES AND ANY FRINGE INCREASES THAT ARE REQUIRED.
SO MAYBE. SO MAYBE THAT'S MAYBE THAT'S A BETTER QUESTION.
I GUESS I'M HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE FIGURING OUT WHERE THE UH, SO THE EXTRA HELP DIFFERENCE IS FOR YOUR PART TIME PEOPLE THAT THAT'S ALREADY THERE. YES.
SO. SO HERE'S MY OTHER QUESTION.
YOU HAD OR HAVE A BAILIFF OUT ON FMLA.
SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TWO BAILIFFS IN THE COURT NOW? YES, SIR. OK.
AND THEN THE PART TIME BAILIFF WOULD WORK AT YOUR DISCRETION.
YOUR WILL? YES, SIR. SO IT WOULD BE WHEN WE IF WE HAD.
AND IN THE AND ON DAYS THAT WE HAVE VERY LARGE DOCKETS WITH VERY LARGE INMATES IN CUSTODY, I WOULD NEED A BAILIFF, AN EXTRA HELP BAILIFF ON THAT DAY AS WELL.
[00:20:09]
WHO WOULD WANT TO DO THAT? I DO KNOW SOME RETIRED PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY WOULD JUMP ON JUMP ON BEING ABLE JUST TO COME WORK FOR A FEW HOURS A WEEK.AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION.
WHO WOULD TAKE THAT JOB? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO BE ON CALL.
BUT BUT BUT THE BIGGER QUESTION IS, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT JUSTICE STOWERS IS SAYING, BUT IF WE IF THE QUORUM COURT IS TO APPROVE THIS AND WE'RE SEEING THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR WHAT'S GOING TO BE PREVENTED FROM BEING ADDED AS A LINE ITEM FOR THE FULL YEAR? IS THERE A STIPULATION OR WOULD SHE HAVE THE OPTION OF ADDING IT? AS A BUDGET, AS A STIPULATION, I WOULD SAY APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE.
WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPROVE.
DISAPPROVE. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
WE'RE DOING THIS TO GET THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
YEAH, RIGHT. I WOULD GO AHEAD AND ADD IT TO THE I MEAN I MADE IT SO.
I JUST NEEDED SOME CLARIFICATION.
THANK YOU. JUSTICE MCCOY, YOU RECOGNIZED. DO YOU HAVE ANY INDICATION OF WHEN YOU MIGHT GET BACK TO PAR? SEEMED LIKE I ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION LAST TIME YOU'RE IN HERE.
BUT ANY IDEA AS FAR AS WHEN YOU THINK ASSUMING THINGS REMAIN SORT OF THE SAME, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN YOU MIGHT GET BACK TO A MORE NORMAL CASELOAD? I KNOW WHAT I WANT.
AND MIGHT THAT COINCIDE WITH THE END OF THE YEAR? I SEE. I'M WORKING HARD TO GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
I DON'T I DO NOT THINK THAT WE'LL BE BACK.
DOWN. SO I'VE RUN A LOT OF NUMBERS AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT.
SO I WENT AND FIGURED OUT EXACTLY HOW MANY CASES WERE PENDING ON MARCH 11TH OF OF 2020.
FIRST DAY OF COVID IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.
AND THERE WERE 1800 CASES IN THAT COURT AT THAT TIME.
I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WHAT THE NORMAL AVERAGE WAS.
AND COURT REPORTERS HERE, SHE CAN KIND OF HELP SAY THAT.
BUT I THINK WE PROBABLY RAN AROUND 1500 CASES ON AVERAGE.
SO MY GOAL IS TO GET DOWN BACK TO 1800 CASES WHERE THEY WERE ON MARCH 11TH OF 2020.
AS I SAID, WE GOT DOWN TO RIGHT UNDER 3000 ON JULY 1ST.
UNFORTUNATELY, I AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON VACATION BUT ENDED UP WITH COVID.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE COURT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS IN JULY AND WE GOT A TON OF NEW CASES IN IN JULY.
SO I THINK WE WERE UP LAST TIME I CHECKED TO ABOUT 3100, MAYBE MAYBE 30, 33,500, SOME 3050.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE DOWN TO AROUND 24, 2500 BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THEN WITH THE PLAN BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, HOPEFULLY TO BE BACK DOWN TO AROUND THE 1800.
BUT I FIGURE BY THE END, I FIGURE IT'S GOING TO TAKE REALLY REALISTICALLY.
AND IF JUDGE WALSH IS STILL BACK THERE, HE MAY BE NODDING.
I FIGURE IT'S GOING TO TAKE REALISTICALLY PROBABLY UNTIL THE END OF 23 TO GET WHERE I NEED TO BE.
BUT I THINK WE'RE WORKING VERY AGGRESSIVELY TO GET WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND PUT A LOT OF THAT.
AND THE PROSECUTORS ARE IN ALL [INAUDIBLE] CASES THAT NEEDED THAT NEED TO BE ALL [INAUDIBLE] IN.
AND I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL AS WELL.
GOOD. IN IN THE EMAIL EXCHANGE.
AND MAYBE IF YOU SAID SOMETHING, MAYBE I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION, SHAME ON ME.
BUT IN THE EMAIL EXCHANGE IT SAID, WHILE HE IS OUT, WE ARE NEEDING NEEDING A PART TIME BAILIFFS.
CAN YOU HELP RECONCILE THAT? SO ONE THING THAT I SAW WHILE HE WAS OUT AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER BAILIFFS, IF THEY WHEN THEY FINISH WITH THEIR COURT, THEY WOULD COME IN AND JUST CHECK IN AND MAKE SURE WE WERE GOOD, WHICH I APPRECIATED.
WE HAVE BECAUSE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WILL BRING THE INMATES OVER THERE DOWNSTAIRS.
AND YOU CAN'T HAVE ALL OF THEM IN THE COURTROOM AT THE SAME TIME.
SO YOU'RE HAVING TO CONTINUALLY IT'S A BIG DANCE, CONTINUALLY TAKE SOME OUT AND BRING SOME IN.
AND JUST BEING ABLE TO HAVE EXTRA EYES IN THE COURTROOM, HAVE EXTRA PROTECTION IN THE COURTROOM.
[00:25:05]
AND THEN, AS I SAID, WITH WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK, WHEN YOU HAVE TWO BAILIFFS HAVING TO TAKE SOMEBODY OUT WHO'S FIGHTING, AND THEN I'M SITTING IN THERE WITHOUT ANY BAILIFFS WITH A COURTROOM FULL OF PEOPLE AND 12 INMATES, IT'S A LITTLE DISCONCERTING.WELL, YOU'VE ANSWERED MY THIRD QUESTION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MASSEY. SO JUDGE WHATLEY, I THINK WHAT YOU JUST STATED IS WHY IT'S IMPERATIVE.
IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL TURNOVERS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE, I BELIEVE JUDGE HOLMES, AM I CORRECT? IS THAT JUDGE LEON JOHNSON IS THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE IS WHO I WAS REFERENCING EARLIER, BY THE WAY.
SO FOR THE RECORD, I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE IMPLEMENT A POOL OF AND MAYBE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A FULL POOL WHERE THERE WERE ON ALL 17 CIRCUITS THERE CIRCULATING.
BUT I THINK ON SOME LEVEL, AT SOME PLACE IN 17 CIRCUITS, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A POOL OF BAILIFFS THAT CAN MANEUVER AND BE NIMBLE AND GO WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED.
SO MAYBE EACH COURT STILL HAS THEIR DESIGNATED OR THAT JUDGES HIRED BAILIFF.
BUT I THINK THAT WE, WE DESPERATELY NEED AND WHETHER IT'S FMLA, WHETHER IT'S A CRISIS SITUATION LIKE YOU HAD IN YOUR COURTROOM, WHATEVER THE MATTER MIGHT BE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT INCUMBENT ON US AS COUNTY GOVERNMENT WITH THE JUDGES AND THE COURT HERE TO COME UP WITH THE BEST WAY, THE BEST PRACTICES TO IMPLEMENT THAT AND TO DO THAT WITHOUT EVERY TIME A JUDGE GOES ON FMLA OR EXCUSE ME, A JUDGE, A BAILIFF GOES ON FMLA.
OR A BAILIFF IS OUT ON VACATION, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
MATERNITY LEAVE. PATERNITY LEAVE.
I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FILL THOSE GAPS WITHOUT EVERY TIME THAT HAPPENS, YOU AS JUDGES AND YOUR STAFF HAVING TO COME TO US SAY, HEY, CAN WE GET SOME SOME ADDITIONAL HELP HERE? AND SO I HOPE THAT THIS COMMITTEE, AS WE MOVE INTO THE FALL WITH THE HELP, BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW BETTER THAN US WHAT YOU NEED WITH YOUR HELP.
THAT AND JUDGE JONES IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT, HEY, HOW DO WE DO THIS BETTER IN THE FUTURE SO WE DON'T END UP HERE AGAIN? AND JUSTIN, DID I PONTIFICATE TOO MUCH? BECAUSE YOU'RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD.
OH, YOU GUYS ASK YOUR QUESTIONS.
IF YOU WANT MY OPINION, YOU SHOULD ASK IT.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M HERE FOR.
I'M CURIOUS. AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT LONG.
I'M JUST CURIOUS. SO DEVELOPING A BAILIFF POOL, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THAT WE AS THE QUORUM COURT SHOULD TAKE UPON OURSELVES, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT GEOLOGISTS NEED TO COME TO US? AND JUST AS A POINT IT CORRECT ME, I DON'T REMEMBER ANY OF THE JUDGES COMING BACK FOR REQUESTS LIKE THIS, AND I MAY BE WRONG.
BUT DO YOU REMEMBER A TIME PRIOR TO THIS THAT SOMEONE HAS COME AND ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL HELP? I DON'T. AND YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL THAT HAVE ASKED FOR HELP LIKE RECORDER'S OUT, WHATEVER.
YOU'VE HAD THAT OVER THE YEARS AND YOU'VE ALSO HAD SITUATIONS WHERE.
SAY THE JUDGE WENT FROM BEING CRIMINAL TO CIVIL AND THOSE WERE SHUFFLED AROUND BECAUSE STATUTORILY I THINK CRIMINAL GETS TO SECRETARY OR SECRETARY INTO BAILIFFS. SO YOU GUYS HAVE DONE SOME SHUFFLING AROUND WITH THAT IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
SO, YES, IT HAS COME BEFORE YOU.
THANK YOU. I PROMISE YOU I YIELD.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I DON'T KNOW. I'M PONDERING, BUT I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS TONIGHT.
[00:30:08]
SO I WANT TO BE FAIR TO ALL JUDGES.I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A NEED, BUT THEY HAD NEEDS TO AND WE DID NOT.
BUT I THINK IN REGARDS TO THE POOL, I THINK WE DO NEED TO POSSIBLY GET WITH JUDGE JOHNSON OR WHOMEVER AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN REGARDS TO MAKING THINGS MORE EFFICIENT, IN REGARDS TO PROTECTION FOR THE JUDGES AND FOR THE WHOLE COURT OR THE COURT SYSTEM.
SO WITH THAT, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, JUSTIN, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLE, PLEASE? YES, MA'AM.
THIS WILL GO TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE US.
ALL RIGHT. WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.