The Cortez Municipal Courts are upgrading the facilities, Court Administrator Carla Odell reported at the City Council meeting Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Improved technology allows defendants who cannot make it to court in person, or who live outside the area, to attend virtually via live WebEx video. The technology also allows lawyers to meet with defendants remotely in a separate room.

The court is seeking a grant for an electronic sign outside the courtroom that will show the daily court docket.

Also signage is being added to the courtroom to provide interpreter information for defendants whose main language is Spanish, Ute or Navajo, and for those who need sign-language interpreters.

The court is also in the process of building a dedicated jury deliberation room, Odell said.

To provide back up for Cortez Municipal Judge Beth Padilla, the court swore in part-time judges Scott Moore and Michael Wanger, who is also the municipal judge for Mancos.

Court staff are working on sentencing guidelines that focus on community service and substance abuse evaluations. The court is working with the Community Intervention Program to help repeat offenders.