DEPARTMENT: Municipal Court
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Frederick P. Garcia, Court Clerk
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Reappointment of Full-time Municipal Court Judges
SUMMARY:
The subcommittee of the Criminal Justice, Public Safety and Services Committee will meet to address personnel matters.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
City council appoints full-time judges every two years in even-numbered years and in odd years appoints the presiding judge. There are currently nine full-time municipal court judges who were previously appointed by city council, with terms due to expire on April 30, 2016, reference ordinance number 2014-04-10-0220. Municipal court judges preside over fine only city code violations, traffic citations, and other class C misdemeanors A San Antonio municipal court judge must be a US citizen, licensed in Texas, and have resided in San Antonio for at least 3 years before appointment.
ISSUE:
The terms for the San Antonio Municipal Court judges will expire April 30, 2016 and require reappointment.
ALTERNATIVES:
The alternative would require posting for and qualifying of new applicants, leaving current judges in a holdover until new appointments can be made. This would not change the term of office and such appointments would be for the remainder of unexpired terms.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Judicial salaries are part of the court’s FY2016 budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Governance Committee suggested that the Criminal Justice, Public Safety and Services subcommittee consider the nine full-time municipal court judges and make recommendations to the full Criminal Justice, Public Safety and Services Committee and to the full city council.