HOUSTON – It’s not secret Houston is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Harris County is one of the most populated, but for those seeking resolution within the judicial system, it might take time.
Currently, there is a critical shortage of district court judges in Harris County. From child custody to work injury lawsuits, if you need a judge to help with a legal issue, you might have to wait a long time—sometimes even years.
“All walks of life, all areas of everyone’s personal lives, from car accidents to child custody disputes, whether you have a home or not, eviction cases...” Joshua Lee, partner at Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP, said.
Russell Bell enjoys a change of pace these days.
“I’m slower now, more cautious,” he said. “Not anymore, because I could have been gone that Saturday…”
That Saturday was Nov. 7, 2020. Bell, a carpenter, was injured on a job site in the Heights while repairing a trash chute.
“We were repairing it because they hit it with the forklift. Someone didn’t get the memo and dropped something down the trash chute, and it came down on me like that. I had three operations,” he explained.
Bell sued the general contractor for negligence. Joshua Lee, his attorney, highlighted a bigger issue: “We just don’t have enough courts to handle the backlog of cases that Harris County has to deal with.”
The courts have had the same number of civil courts since 1983. The Texas Office of Court Administration reveals a critical shortage of district courts in Harris County, with a need for 25 more courts. For now, the request is for five.
“Five new courts is just putting a finger in the dike. We need more courts,” Lee said.
Judge Latosha Lewis-Payne, administrative judge for state district courts in Harris County, noted, “Having enough courts and court officers to work those cases hasn’t really kept pace with the growth.”
She added, “We need growth in where those judges are housed. We need buildings and spaces, but we also need growth in the support system for the judiciary.” This includes clerks, coordinators, and the attorneys that serve, as well as growth in IT.
“The burden on litigants in courts—whether it’s a minor or a victim of crime—is delay,” Lewis-Payne said. “Delay means you are not able to move on with your life. You’re not able to get that child custody matter resolved because there are only a certain number of hours in the day.”
Russell Bell expressed frustration about the lengthy process, saying, “Very long. Delays. Too many delays.”
