The City Council has delayed action on a move to delete Division II of City Court after City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod raised a number of City Court issues. But it is expected to be approved in several weeks.
At the close of a long discussion, Councilwoman Coonrod said she would support a resolution by Chairman Chip Henderson to do away with the division after the term of Judge Russell Bean expires in August 2022.
Councilwoman Coonrod said, instead, the focus should be on improving the operation of City Court.
She said she favors again giving City Court the same jurisdiction as General Sessions Court, saying the city is losing some $100,000 in income with city police officers taking their cases to General Sessions instead of city.
The councilwoman said such courts as Drug Court and Mental Health Court could be moved under City Court.
And she said it should handle minor drug cases as part of an effort to keep people out of jail and "decriminalize" certain crimes such as marijuana use.
She said General Sessions Court judges should welcome the move, saying they complain of having too many cases.
Councilwoman Coonrod was critical of the Division I judge, Sherry Paty, who is seeking a new eight-year term, calling her "a white privileged woman" not focused on needs of "brown and black people."
She said when Judge Paty was asked to make a presentation to the City Council, "She acted like she didn't even want to be there."
Chairman Henderson said taxpayers could save $500,000 a year by eliminating Division II. He said City Court's cases have been falling since 2016.
He said for 2019-2021, Division II heard about 360 cases a year. He said that amounted to one and a half case a day.
He stated, "That division could easily be absorbed into Division I."
Councilman Anthony Byrd said the court did not need two court officers with take home cars each. City Court officials said court officers no longer have take home cars, but use a city-owned car for delivering court papers.
Councilwoman Carol Berz raised the possibility of closing down Division II now while continuing to pay Judge Bean until his term runs out. She said the current employees could be offered jobs elsewhere in city government.