TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — Tarrant County commissioners will meet Tuesday to discuss reorganizing criminal court administration.
The plan, detailed in a public memo to county leaders, would affect 63 employees. Commissioners would eliminate the criminal courts administrator's position and form a new department to handle those duties.
In a key change, certain courthouse employees would report ultimately to the county administrator instead of criminal judges.
"It very much limits and weakens judges' authority," said Leigh Davis, immediate past president of the Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. "It will leave them with the bare minimum of staff and control over court programs."
The TCCDLA has publicly expressed concerns about the potential change. Its members worry such a move might allow the county government's executive branch to influence judicial business.
"Part of the criminal process is no longer going to be controlled by our criminal judges," Davis said. "It'll be controlled by administrators and bureaucrats down the street."
Davis also contends the proposal was placed on Tuesday's agenda without input from stakeholders, including attorneys and judges.
The move, which would take place on July 1 with commissioners' approval, would save Tarrant County taxpayers almost $174,000 in the coming fiscal year. Its long-term fiscal impact is less clear.
Judge Alex Kim, whose juvenile court would probably not be impacted by the proposed change, noted the positions that could be reorganized are not guaranteed to judges in state law. Instead, Tarrant County and others choose to fund such work.
"We have to remember, as judges, we sign up to do a job and handle our own caseload," Kim said. "We're not guaranteed any kind of support staff by the county, other than certain key positions."
Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare did not respond to WFAA's request for comment. Through a spokesperson, county administrator Chandler Merritt declined to comment.
Commissioner Manny Ramirez said he would answer questions about the plan Tuesday.