State legislation that would create a fourth district court in Brazos County…which is opposed by the county judge…comes from the county’s three district judges.
Steve Smith, the judge in the 361st district court, says he and judges Kyle Hawthorne of the 85th and Travis Bryan of the 272nd district courts went to representative Kyle Kacal to file HB 1134.
Smith says Peters did not bring up statistics from the Office of Court Administration (OCA) showing Brazos County is tied for the second highest workload among ten counties of similar population.
Click HERE for OCA statistics provided by 361st district judge Steve Smith.
The judge had the state office of court administration compare workload in the four counties above and the five counties below Brazos County in population. In the group of ten counties, Brazos is among four with three district judges. Three counties have four judges. Waco and Midland each have five. And Beaumont has eight district judges.
Smith responded to the county judge’s belief that the cost of a fourth district court would equal an increase in the property tax rate of almost one cent.
HB 1134 has been referred to the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee.
Click below for comments from district judge Steve Smith, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.