Jury trials in Montezuma County have nearly doubled this year, officials say, bringing heavier traffic, longer lines and increased strain on courthouse parking and security.
During their annual update to county commissioners, Chief District Judge Todd Plewe and court executive Eric Hogue outlined how the court system is managing a heavier caseload.
For the past three months, Hogue said, there has been a jury trial scheduled every other Thursday with “no relief coming.” He added the numbers have been unprecedented in 2026 during his 20 years working at the combined courts.
“There’s a lot of community engagement with the facility, there’s a lot of people being summoned for jury duty,” Hogue said.
On those days, lines stretch to about 70 to 100 people waiting to pass through the magnetometer and X-ray scanner before checking in for jury duty.
“Often on Wednesdays and Thursdays, there are four courtroom running simultaneously,” Plewe said.
Plewe and Hogue suggested reopening the courthouse at 7:30 a.m. could help reduce long lines and wait times, but Sheriff’s Office staffing levels and agreements limiting deputy overtime prevent the earlier opening.
The increase in trials coincides with the continued loss of state funding that the county relied on for many years through a court security grant program. In past years, the county used the funding to pay for security guard positions, equipment and improvements that revamped some security features in the building.
Significant cuts followed after the county’s ranking improved in measures of viability and economic stability, moving it out of the highest-priority tier for court security grants.
This year, the Sheriff’s Office plans to apply again, specifically seeking funding equal to the cost of one deputy salary, estimated at $68,000.
“We haven’t received any funding from it for the last two years,” Sheriff Steve Nowlin said, noting he opposes tying a full-time position to a grant because if the funding goes away, the job does as well.
Commissioners discussed directing the $68,000 instead toward overtime pay and salaries for current deputies. They said that if grant funding is secured, there could be an opportunity to adjust courthouse operating hours to 7:30 a.m.
“In a nutshell, we all decided we should go after the grant. Odds of it getting it, is who’s guess,” Commissioner Jim Candelaria said.
Loss of federal funding threatens monitoring program
Court officials also raised concerns about the impending loss of federal funding that supports pretrial monitoring programs, warning the change could create gaps for people who cannot afford testing required by state statute.
Plewe said that after the pretrial services program was discontinued through the Sheriff’s Office, judicial administrators worked with community partners to create a replacement program. The program monitors individuals, particularly those arrested for repeat DUI charges or other allegations involving alcohol.
That program has relied in part on federal grant funding to cover testing costs for individuals who cannot afford them. With the funding set to expire June 30, officials said some people will still be ordered to test but may not be able to pay.
“We are concerned about their inability to pay. That is a community safety issue that is going to be left with a gap there,” Plewe said. “Right now, individuals required to test are testing but we are going to lose that funding.”
He added that judges will likely have to make case-by-case determinations on compliance, but he does not anticipate people being jailed solely because they cannot afford testing.
While the building opened in 2017, Hogue said it is tracking in line with long-term growth projections.
Both Hogue and Plewe said the courthouse is running well day to day. Office staff, including the probation department, administrative wing and public services unit, are nearly fully staffed, but parking is at capacity.
Overflow traffic parks at the Osprey headquarters or in the Montezuma County Detention Center parking lot, and courthouse staff have had to park elsewhere.
Candelaria said the county has already engaged an engineer to draw a schematic for a potential parking expansion. While it is not in this year’s budget, he said commissioners are actively exploring options.
awatson@the-journal.com
