By Caleb Bedillion
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Efforts to aid Lee County’s clogged youth court system have come up short once again.
When the regular session of the state legislature adjourned last week, pending legislation died that would have authorized Lee County to create the position of youth court referee.
Such legislation was introduced by state Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, and passed the Senate. The bill never advanced in the state House, however.
The bill in question was a piece of local and private legislation and would have only impacted Lee County.
Lee County’s county court system has only judge, who also serves as youth court judge. That judge is currently Charlie Brett.
Lee County officials have indicated broad agreement that the youth court docket is reaching the point where a single judge cannot feasibly handle the load.
A referee would have the authority to hear and rule in certain kinds of youth court cases, under the general supervision of Brett.
Near the legislative session’s opening in January, Lee County Supervisors approved a resolution requesting the authority to create the referee position.
Brett believes opposition from the Mississippi Judiciary division tripped up efforts to obtain a youth court referee for Lee County.
“They are just adamantly opposed to part-time judges,” Brett said. “They feel it’s a matter of principle. It’s really a policy thing.”
Brett doesn’t opposes the possibility of stocking the local county court system with multiple judges. After all, he routinely recites statistics to local officials indicating that Lee County is one of the largest counties in the state with only one one county court judge.
Another judge would be expensive, however. County courts are dependent on appropriations from count government. Thus, Brett has of late focused his energy on efforts to obtain a referee.
“It would be more cost efficient,” said Brett, who is elected and in his fourth term.
Brett has estimated than even full-time referee would cost less than $100,000. By Brett’s reckoning, a second county court judge could carry a price tag of $400,000 or more.
A second judge carries such a high price because of the need to hire additional personnel beyond just the judge, including a court administrator and bailiff.
Brett is limping along right now with an extra infusion of funds last city from Lee County and the city of Tupelo, $45,000 from the former and $60,000 from the latter.
With that money, he increased his staff levels and added an intake officer to help manage the mountains of paperwork the legal process generates.
“It’s much much better than it was,” Brett said. “It’s still not perfect, but what is?”
He may be operating on borrowed time, however.
The city of Tupelo is under no obligation to provide funding for youth court, which is a function of county government.
During last year’s budget season, the Tupelo City Council warned the city won’t continue to provide funding unless all the county’s municipalities chip in to augment the youth court budget.
Adding an additional layer of uncertainty, municipal elections could put new officials into office for terms that begin in July, right before budget-writing usually begins.
Brett said he’s reached out to Lee County’s municipalities and hopes for a positive outcome.
“My initial efforts have been received very favorably, but I’m not going to guarantee 100 percent participation,” he said.
caleb.bedillion@journalinc.com
Twitter: @CalebBedillion