GOVERNMENT Judge, staff in place as County Court at Law 6 prepares for cases
two court clerks and a staff attorney in addition to the judge herself. The total cost of implementation would be $120,491.90 from the fiscal year 2021-22 budget, while the expected impact on the FY 2022-23 budget for salaries and benefits would be $652,000, according to budget officer Amanda Carter. Darin Bailey, a deputy for County Clerk Mark Turnbull, said that the court’s timeline would leave County Court at Law No. 6 with less time to train new employees before Valdez took the bench. “It’s not going to be a slow progres- sion,” Bailey said. “We’re going to hit the ground running from the day Judge Valdez takes the bench.” The county, which is also imple- menting a master facilities plan for its downtown Conroe offices, held discussions on potentially relocating the court. According to County Judge Mark Keough, the new court was intended to be in the James Keshan Building on North Thompson Street. He proposed having an architecture firm look at possible configurations of the new courthouse before Jan. 1.
County Court at Law 6 will begin taking cases in September. The court was approved in 2021 to ease the burden on other county courts. CARRYING THE CASELOAD
The year County Court at Law 5 was added, the most recent county court at law at the time 2007 The projected impact of County Court at Law 6 on the county’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget $652,000 The number of staffers approved, including Judge Scharlene Valdez, for the new court 7 Valdez will be sworn in to the new court seat and begin taking cases Sept. 1 Aug. 15
BY JISHNU NAIR
and my CPS background will bode very well for this court.” The court was created in early 2021 to lower the average civil caseload per county court judge and to give a permanent home for juvenile cases in Montgomery County, Valdez said. Previously, juvenile cases rotated among three other county courts that handled misdemeanor cases, with each one taking the responsibility for two years. “[The judges] felt the need for a juvenile home court was there, so they created CCL 6 with a dual docket,” Valdez said. “We’ve had three amazing judges take the docket, but [the new judge] will help with consistency and continuity.” Commissioners Court documents obtained by Community Impact Newspaper showed the planned staff would include a court administrator, court coordinator, court reporter,
A year after its creation, Montgom- ery County Court at Law 6 will be taking cases Sept. 1. Judge Scharlene Valdez of the 418th District Court will preside over the new court following her June 14 appointment. Valdez ran unopposed for the new court seat in the Repub- lican March 1 primary and did not have a Democratic opponent for the November election. She will be sworn in Aug. 15. Valdez said her previous expe- rience working as an attorney in Montgomery County’s child protec- tive services department has helped prepare her for the new role. “I’m very ready to continue with the fine work the county attorney’s office has done ... and I’m eager to implement new policies and proce- dures where they see fit,” Valdez said. “I believe my family law background
SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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