Lee's Summit Municipal Court discussed in council meeting as staff says it's 'drowning'

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.

Lee's Summit's City Council spent more than two hours Tuesday discussing the future of its municipal court, which has faced numerous complaints over long wait times. Judges have said the court is under water because of a lack of resources and outdated processes.

A top priority identified in studies and several presentations to the council uncovered a need to expand the days cases are heard.

The current system divides cases between two days a week. However, the case loads are in the hundreds, some days reaching nearly 800 cases.

To add docket days, staff and additional resources need to be allocated.

It requires more days the judges are in the office, which means more compensation.

Jackson County

Lee's Summit Municipal Court 'drowning' in cases; staff says system is outdated

Braden Bates

The council was divided on rushing a decision to raise judge pay while the elected judges are in the middle of their term.

"I keep coming back to the plain language of our charter and the principal behind it. For me that principal is straight forward," said Council member Hillary Shields. "I cannot vote for an increase in my own compensation that became effective during my current term and I cannot apply a different standard to another elected official."

City of Lee's Summit

"I feel the way we can address it immediately is getting the judges in there extra days and the best way to do that; I wouldn't work for free," Council member Mia Prier said.

City of Lee's Summit

In the August 18 council meeting, Prier issued a motion for an ordinance to be drafted for a judge pay increase.

This motion was not on the official agenda.

In a 5 - 2 vote council approved the motion, and the ordinance will go to a vote at a future council meeting within 30 days.

Judge Dana Altieri spoke with KSHB 41 ahead of the council meeting about the urgency for action.

"Imagine if you're in a courtroom, isn't that the place where you're supposed to be heard, but you've got a judge who you can tell is just churn and burn and gotta go," Altieri said. "The urgency for us is we need to serve the people and we're not doing so."

KSHB 41

Lee's Summit Municipal Judge Venessa Maxwell-Lopez estimated on some days they have 23 seconds to hear and decide a case due to the volume.

When asked if this provided justice, Altieri said, "for the people who are here coming to the courtroom, no, it does not feel like a sense of justice for me."

Along with increased pay for the judges and more docket days, the judges said the court is understaffed.

At the council meeting, City Manager Mark Dunning confirmed two court clerk positions are posted online. While one is a new position, the other opened up in July.

The court is also looking for a parole officer.

"We're just exhausting the resources. We usually sit here around about 10 hours without a break, not even a bathroom break," said Altieri.

Altieri said with additional days for the dockets, case loads will be spread out and they'll be able to handle a large backlog of cases.

We'll continue to provide updates as discussions continue to move through city council.

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