Although many aspects of life have returned to near pre-COVID pandemic routines, a dam holding back cases has broken in the judicial system this past year.
Here in the Augusta Judicial Circuit and across the country, the impact of the pandemic and lockdown led to larger backlogs that delayed justice for victims, witnesses and the accused, and stuffed even more people into overcrowded jails for longer periods of time, which increases costs for local taxpayers.
For 2022 in Richmond County Superior Court, the year began with about 3,000 pending cases. As of the end of October, 3,612 people have cases pending.
In Georgia last year, money from the American Rescue Plan Act began filtering down to local courts to help with the backlogs. The Augusta Judicial Circuit, composed of Richmond and Burke counties, received $2 million for 2022. Next year the circuit will get an additional $2 million.
The money has helped hire support staff and prosecutors. The public defender system also received funds that were distributed statewide. But there are still only so many judges who can preside over cases.
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The Augusta Judicial Circuit has five judges who preside over not only felony criminal cases but civil and domestic cases as well. The latest case study by the Administrative Office of the Courts for the Judicial Council of Georgia found the Augusta Judicial Circuit qualifies for an additional judgeship.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs notified the circuit earlier this year that additional judgeships are recommended for several judicial circuits, including Augusta. Augusta is number four in line of recommendations to the General Assembly which it returns to business this winter.
According to data analyzed by The Augusta Press, the five judges each have 690 to 752 pending felony cases against individuals. That’s work on top of civil and domestic cases and on top of probation violations, pretrial hearings, and other case management matters.
Even if no one was indicted next year, it would still take the Augusta Judicial Circuit nearly four years to close all pending cases at the current rate. In 2022, 1,291 cases were closed, which was just below a 66 percent clearance rate. That was an improvement over 2021 when the clearance rate was 60.5 percent.
But, of course, there will be more people indicted next year. Nearly 2,000 people have been indicted so far this year. Even during the pandemic when the Georgia Supreme Court chief justice declared a judicial emergency — putting a stop to jury trial and many court proceedings for nearly the entire year — almost 1,500 people were indicted in Richmond County, but the clearance rate was nearly 80 percent.
In 2022, a total of 1,026 people were convicted in Richmond County Superior Court, and the cases against 240 people were dropped or put into inactive status. The year before COVID struck, 1,948 people were convicted and the cases against another 195 were dropped or put into inactive status.
What has been significantly reduced is the number of very old cases. Only 716 people with pending cases were indicted before Jan. 1, 2021.
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Although many pending cases involve people accused of violent crimes, who have been waiting an average of 532 days, those accused of property crimes have been waiting on an average of 560 days, and those accused of drug crimes have been waiting an average of 481 days since they were indicted.
Of all cases filed since 2016, the average length of time from indictment to sentencing was 274 days, and from indictment to dismissal it was an average of 379 days.
In a 2002 report of clearance rates for state courts in the United States, 17 states closed all felony cases in a three-year period, from 1999 to 2001. Georgia was not among those top 17.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.Â
