Government Math: Lack Of Judges Costing Hundreds Of Millions Friday January 26, 2007 6:26pm   Reporter: Anderson Burns   Posted By: Brian Heins Should marijuana be legalized for medical use?  Yes  No ___  ABC News 4 Interact  ___    • Signup for eNews Alerts    • ABC News 4 Pulse Poll    • Whats Your Opinion?    • Printable Version    • E-Mail This Story » Watch the eVideo Charleston, S.C. - South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal has been begging the state legislature for years to hire more judges. She's made little progress.  “I think crisis has to hit sometime before the message is heard,” said Toal. But how much louder can the message get?  South Carolina judges have the highest caseload in the nation, and it's not even close.  Nearly 4200 cases a year, which is over 1000 more than the runner up, North Carolina, and nearly 2500 more than the national average.  It’s a crisis some judges say is weakening a fundamental American principle.  “That you have an opportunity to go present to people of the community, called a jury, you’re issues, and let them decide it,” said James Lockemy, president of the South Carolina Circuit Judges Association. “When you cant get all those done, you have people waiting 3,4,5 years for a trial.” Which brings us to Charleston County. County council has approved a $100 million jail expansion to house those people still waiting for their day in court.  Compare that $100 million with the cost of six new judges requested by chief justice Toal. “The cost for the entire group of judicial positions I've laid out here is about $2 million. So it’s a drop in the bucket to add these additional judges and their support staff compared with building new jails all over the state. The absurdity of the math seems obvious, the problem in fixing it is just as obvious. The county is responsible for housing the inmates, but the state is responsible for the judges that could get those inmates processed out of the jail. “The counties have a real gripe, as Charleston does,” said Toal.  “You ought not to be spending the money you have to spend on county jails.” But unless the state is willing to spend a few million dollars for more judges, the county feels forced to spent a hundred million on those waiting in the nations longest judicial line. Chief justice Toal said she's confident the legislature will approve money for six new judges, but was quick to add she could use four times that many.   » Find More Articles Related To This One Copyright 2007 WCIV, LLC.

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