Supervisors Back Senator's Push for Additional Judges In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - The Board of Supervisors Tuesday endorsed a proposal to create additional judicial positions in Riverside County and other counties where the state has recognized a deficit in the number of judges available to handle expanding caseloads.

Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, introduced Senate Bill 39 in the current legislative session, seeking to fund four judgeships in jurisdictions where there's a demonstrable need for more judicial officers.

Roth's bill does not specifically mention Riverside County, but it does cite a California Judicial Council study that emphasizes the need to fill more seats on the bench where populations have surged and demand for judicial resources has consequently risen.

The board's letter in support of Roth's proposal pointed out that the Riverside County Superior Court system's current "workload warrants an additional 46 judicial officers."

There are slightly more than 70 judges on the bench countywide, though that figure fluctuates because a few are retired judges who return to work for alternating periods to relieve the docket.

Roth has sponsored bills in the past that sought to augment the number of judicial positions to make up for the state's shortage on the bench, but none of those proposals have cleared the governor's desk.

SB 39 does not seek more funding, but rather provides a means to pay for the four judgeships by redirecting funding otherwise earmarked for counties with judicial vacancies but no pressing need to fill them.

– By City News Service / Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone