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In State Of The Judiciary, Acting Chief Justice Calls For Resources To Ease 27,000-Case Backlog

Mal Leary
/
Maine Public/file
Maine's Acting Chief Justice Andrew Mead, at an event in April of 2017.

In the annual State of the Judiciary address, given virtually to the Maine Legislature on Wednesday, Acting Chief Justice Andrew Mead says the courts have been challenged to cope with the effects of the pandemic, not only because of the need for social distancing and other protective measures but because of the growing backlog of criminal cases.

Speaking to lawmakers, Justice Mead says the courts, like other institutions, have had to fundamentally change the way they operate. They’re using virtual hearings to minimize courtroom time, renovating courtrooms to allow for social distancing and training security screeners to also screen for COVID-19.

But Mead says far and away the most striking effect has been the growth in the backlog of criminal cases from 17,000 before the pandemic struck to the current number: 27,000.

“Of that number, 52 are homicide cases, which because of their typical length and complexity, tend to dominate and slow down the criminal docket,” he says.

And while the increase in the backlog of civil cases has not been as great, Mead says there are now thousands more pending various categories such as small claims and real estate.

To reduce the backlog, Mead says the courts will need additional resources. He praised court staff for the way they are handling cases but said there are just too many to keep up.

“We are basically holding our own, but not moving forward in he way we would hope. We have reached the limitation of our resources under the current conditions of the ongoing pandemic. The currently pending numbers in most case types are up,” he says.

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.