A scathing 70-page internal audit has recommended that Atlanta taxpayers could save more than $2 million by cutting the number of municipal courtrooms by more than half and trimming the number of judges and staff.
The audit, released Monday afternoon by city auditor Leslie Ward, suggests the city reduce the number of active municipal courtrooms from nine to four. Ward’s report shows that while the number of cases heard in municipal court has remained steady over the last three years, the budget has continued to increase.
The report also recommended that the chief judge review and consider reducing the number of charges that require a court appearance as an alternative way to increase court efficiency and reduce costs, and that court sessions should be staggered to reduce wait time and the potential for overcrowding.
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