In restructuring Decatur’s municipal court, the city commission agreed to hire four regular judges, each getting assigned to one specific court day apiece, Monday through Thursday, along with one chief judge. The total five judges would rotate Saturday duty.
In its current configuration the court has four regular and two substitute judges. City staff had proposed streamlining the court to one chief and two alternate judges, but this received vocal opposition during last week’s commission meeting. Local attorney and DeKalb Lawyers Association President Mawuli Mel Davis argued before the commission that by cutting three positions, “you lose a lot of experience and diversity.”
Eventually the commission agreed, unanimously (5-0) approving the new set-up, although some questions remain.
“The chief will be the manager of the court, providing consistent organization day to day,” said Assistant City Manager Andrea Arnold. “We haven’t inked it all out yet, but there will be some [clearly delineated] responsibilities for the chief of judges.”
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