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| Fresno County Jail: To ease overcrowding, build two new courts |
| By fresnobee.com- John Ellis |
| Published: 11/13/2013 |
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To relieve chronic overcrowding at the Fresno County Jail, local officials are seeking state help to create one and possibly two new courtrooms. The proposal is being called an "arraignment court," and the idea is it could handle lower-level criminal arraignments as well as plea agreements, sentencings and cases where individuals will serve time in local jails -- instead of state prisons -- under the state's realignment program. The hope is the courtroom will help clear out a backlog in the county jail, where 69% of the inmates are awaiting trial. The remaining 31% are serving sentences, county documents show. County Administrative Officer John Navarrette said a pilot program is being created that would be evaluated over a period of six months to a year. The proposal is for a single courtroom, but the proposal could grow to two as the final numbers are worked out, Navarrette said. Fresno County would foot the bill for staffing the courtrooms with clerks, prosecutors, and every other court necessity except the judge. The pilot program cost is estimated to be $1.5 million. The cost of the judge or judges would be picked up by the state Administrative Office of the Courts, and would likely involve them rotating in from other California counties. "We've had a lot of activity and a lot of good dialogue," Navarrette told county supervisors on Tuesday. The Administrative Office of the Courts would have the final say on the proposal. Read More. |
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