Feb. 23, 2022 – The Cobb Judicial Circuit has been awarded nearly $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to tackle the backlog of serious violent felony cases in the circuit.

The award was announced this week by the state’s Judicial Council Ad Hoc Committee on ARPA Funding. On Tuesday night, Cobb’s Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed to accept the grant.

Cobb will create an additional docket, administered by a senior judge, that will focus on serious violent felony cases that need jury trials. The award will finance positions in Superior Court Administration, the Clerk’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office, plus equipment, court reporting and transcription, interpreting, and other services necessary to conduct additional criminal jury trials.

Chief Judge Rob Leonard, who addressed the Commissioners Tuesday night, noted in the application that the Cobb Judicial Circuit has successfully held trials since the statewide suspension was lifted with only a brief pause due to the Omicron COVID spike. Noting that the jury trial backlog was created by the pandemic-related statewide suspension of jury trials, it is being exacerbated by rising homicide rates, Chief Leonard wrote.

“The right to a speedy and public trial by jury is at the very foundation of our criminal justice system. This grant will enable the Superior Court to try a greater number of serious cases resulting in the more efficient delivery of justice for all,” Chief Leonard said. “It’s imperative to move through as many older cases as we can because the system is already struggling to keep up with rising violent crime and a homicide rate that has doubled from pre-pandemic levels.”

The dedicated docket aims to add another judge managing a group of serious violent felony cases to expeditiously help victims and defendants avoid further delays in seeking justice. It will allow the elected Superior Court judges to devote more attention to other serious violent felony cases, as well as to their other criminal, civil, and domestic caseloads.

The Judicial Council Ad Hoc Committee on ARPA Funding awarded a total of $40 million to 40 judicial circuits around the state. These initial grant funds must be spent by the end of 2022, but circuits can apply for additional grants to cover expenses in 2023 and 2024.