Benton County’s court system increased from two judges to three in 1974, Circuit Court Judge David Connell says.

“It’s 2006. We still have three judges. Our docket because of that is very crowded.”

Things have gotten so busy that the daily administration of justice is a challenge, Connell said.

“It’s kind of crazy,” agreed presiding Circuit Court Judge Locke Williams. “If you’re looking for an hour on the court’s calendar, you’re probably looking out into March.”

It doesn’t appear Benton County will get a new judge anytime soon, though, Williams said.

As busy as it may be, Benton County Circuit Court doesn’t appear as busy as other judicial districts.

Benton County ranked 22nd out of 26 districts in need for a new judge, according to a December 2004 Oregon Judicial Department report.

Benton’s caseload actually has dropped from more than 12,178 total cases in 1998 to 9,270 in 2005, a 24 percent decrease, according to the report.

Statewide, there was a 2 percent caseload drop during the same period.

Case numbers might not tell the whole story, though, said Tracey Cordes, Benton County trial court administrator.

Minor cases typically take up less of a judge’s time, while civil cases and juvenile hearings take more effort.

From 1998 to 2005, violations shrank from nearly 7,000 to 3,900, while Benton County civil cases grew from 465 to 600, according to the Oregon Judicial Department. Juvenile cases shrank from 289 to 195 during that time period.

Judges’ work has changed as well, Cordes said.

“In recent years, the courts have placed greater emphasis on resolving cases, as opposed to merely trying cases. This has led to the development of settlement conferences, mediation and other programs,” she wrote in an e-mail.

The extra work generally gets better results, she added.

The county’s drug court for adults and juveniles takes additional time, Cordes said.

Based on the 2004 report, the 2005 Legislature approved funding for four new judges — in Clackamas, Clatsop, Jackson and Umatilla counties.

Linn County, which has five judges, was ranked No. 9 on the list.

Judge Janet Holcomb, Benton County’s presiding judge at the time, helped author the document.

Benton District Attorney Scott Heiser said there’s justification for the appointment of another full-time judge. “The demand is there.”

The judges’ schedules will be tested this spring when the county is expected to try the first of at least four pending murder cases, Heiser said.

“Those can tie up a courtroom for three or four weeks,” he said. “That causes an impact.”

The district attorney said he already sees some cases that get delayed due to the difficulty in court scheduling.

He noted comparisons to Yamhill County, which has a population similar in size to Benton County. It already has four judges.

Though Williams believes a new full-time judge is out of the question, he will pursue getting a pro-tem judge, often a retired jurist, to handle routine cases on a limited basis.

“We could sure use it. The public would see a direct benefit” in getting cases heard more quickly, Williams said.

At periods in the recent past, Benton County has had a pro-tem judge.

One of the largest impacts to the court system is cases stemming from the use of methamphetamine, Connell said.

“The methamphetamine problem creates quite a number of cases. It is an epidemic. But it’s not just in this county,” Williams said.

“It really permeates so much of what we do, from violations to the most violent crimes,” he added.

Another possible difficulty in getting a judge for the historic Benton County Courthouse is that it’s short on space. The fourth courtroom, used for video arraignments, is tiny compared to regular courtrooms.

Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.