TEXAS JUDICIARY REQUESTS $6.7 MILLION FROM TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO RESOLVE BACKLOG OF CASES RESULTING FROM COVID-19 SHUT-DOWNS

In an article published by Bloomberg Law on a May 24, 2021, Correspondents reported that without additional resources provided to the Texas judiciary, “it will take [Texas courts] anywhere from three to five years to dig out” of the backlog of cases resulting from COVID-19 shut-downs.  Thus, the Texas judiciary has “asked for $6.7 million from the legislature that [it] calculate[s] would allow [it] to resolve all the cases in the backlog that were pending through the end of December in one year.” Part of this funding would be used to hire retired judges.

The Texas judiciary is also telling the legislature that virtual court sessions should be continued post-pandemic. To that end, “Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht used his biennial address earlier this year to advise litigators that some pandemic experiments are here to stay because of cost and convenience.” “‘Virtual trials will continue to play a role in the new normal,’ said Hecht.”

Bloomberg Law’s full article is posted at https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/texas-court-backlog-could-last-five-years-without-more-funding.