Court is in session?: Judges absences from bench adding to COVID backlog
People check a Shelby County court docket in 2013. According to documents stored in the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk’s office, some judges have missed as many as 32 days from the bench since the beginning of 2022. (Daily Memphian file)
Though it includes 10 judges and 10 divisions, Shelby County’s criminal court system had only tried 32 cases by August of this year — and there’s a backlog of 465 pending trials.
Topics
court backlogs Shelby County Criminal Court Shelby County General Sessions Court Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Julia Baker
A lifelong Memphian, Julia Baker graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021. Other publications and organizations she has written for include Chalkbeat, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent magazine and Memphis magazine.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.