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Local / State Local taxpayers would foot bill More courts costly decisioi Editor’s note: This is the last in three-part series on the burden of the increasing caseload in the Brazos County District courts. By MARCY L. BOYCE Battalion Staff Brazos County jurors have re turned their verdict: the pendu lum has swung, steeper penalties will come, crooks will receive due punishment. “Juries are getting stiller and stiffer,” Travis Bryan III, Brazos County district attorney, says. “People are getting tired. We’ve had 20 years of liberalism in our courts and people are just sick and tired of seeing criminals go free on what is known as technicalities.” In short, jurors at Brazos Coun ty Courthouse are ready to sock it to the guilty IF they’re given the help they need. But, just as laws don’t always make law abiders, wishes don’t always come true — especially when funds and man power are limited. Getting stiffer sentences for cri minals requires overwhelming evidence in most cases. And Bryan says this means hours of additional investigation and case preparation time and, with no additional available manpower. With their rapidly expanding dockets, the county’s two district courts already are operating at capacity, state District Judge W.T. McDonald says. So far this year, the District Attorney’s Office has opened more than 800 cases, compared to 667 in 1980, and Bryan predicts that number will reach 900 by the end of the year. Brazos County’s situation is not unique. But following Bryan’s month-old decision to prohibit "Juries are getting stif fer and stiffer. People are getting tired. We’ve had 20 years of liberal ism in our courts and people are just sick and tired of seeing criminals go free on what is known as technicalities. ’’ — Travis Bryan III, Brazos Countv district attorney. PECANS ❖ 0 Last Chance Before Christmas $1.75/LB. FOR “DESIRABLE” $1.35/LB. FOR “STUART” (sold in 10 lb. bags) Send in your order today — pick-up time will be December 7, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at loading dock of Plant Science Building. (Proceeds will go towards building our club greenhouse) Name: Address: Phone: I would like: Send To: TAMU Horticulture Club Dept, of Hort. Sciences Plant Science Building TAMU College Station, Tx. 77843 10 LB. BAGS OF DESIRABLE @ $1.75/LB. 10 LB. BAGS OF STUART @ $1.35/LB TOTAL DUE AT LOADING DOCK Signature plea bargaining on an experimen tal basis, the district courts have only one real hope for alleviating their growing pains — creation of another district court. Under the present prosecution system, defendants who wish to plead guilty are made one offer which is determined by a grid sys tem that takes into account the seriousness of the crimes and the defendants’ background. They can either accept or refuse this offer, but no bargaining is per mitted. In the long run, Bryan says, this means more cases probably will have to be tried as defendants are displeased with the offers made to them, hence the pressure to cre ate another district court also in creases. But needed or not, it would not be easy to ventrue. District courts can be created only by an act of the Texas Legislature, but funding of the courts falls on the Brazos County Commissioners Court. “In effect, what the Legislature is doing is saying, ‘You’ve got yourself another district court. Now, you find the funds to sup port it, ” Bill Cooley, commission er from Precinct 1, says. The two existing district courts in the county, the 85th and the 272nd, are operating yearly budgets of about $61,01K) each, the bulk of which is appropriated to compensate such personnel as baliffs ($16,822 each), court repor ters ($19,098 each) and secretaries ($9,829 each). Judges are paid by the state. However, County Judge Dick Holmgreen estimates that by the . 1983 session of the Legislature, the earliest possible year in which a court could be created, operat ing expenses alone for a third dis trict court probably would cost taxpayers an additional $110,000 a year over the $61,(M)0 court cost. That comes to a total operating budget of about $170,000, even though construction exists would not be a factor. Jack Cumpton says the $10 million courthouse com plex, now under construction, will contain space for three additional courtrooms. The county also would incur ex penses for at least one additional prosecutor and for a court coordi nator. Determining where that money comes from and how it is distri buted is the commissioners headache. But paying that bill is the tax payers’ burden because there’s no question that ultimately it would be nessessary to raise taxes. Bill Beard, commissioner from Pre cinct 3, says. “So you can imagine, we are not overanxious that another district court be created,’’ he says. Revenue for district courts is obtained from the basic property tax. Estimations of how much that ing their taxes for, it is crime. ”1 believe that if you toUi we re going to raise your cents on every dollar another court and to more prosecutors and patrolmen and two mi fives in our police de[ people would say, That But when it comes to creating another district Brazos County, it’s not the taxpayers, the proseo the commissioners deem sary. It's the legislators, ly Sen. Kent CapertonJ trict, and Rep. Bill Pres 28th District, who must final yea. “We (the commissioner! have some influence,iiitl attire, hut if they wanti isn't anything we could it, W.A. Stasney, conn from the 4th Precenct “This last one (the 27h really didn’t ask for it,| couldn’t turn it down. Iti shoved on down.” Stasney said he doesi Brazos County needs and trict court nowandthathel doesn’t need on within couple of years because pensive. Nevertheless, Beard the Commissioners Com mantly opposed, itisprol likely that it will get thn Legislature. kjark Smit [ouston, i Jy JOHN Battali I'.i Texas A Sen i And Cooley said he I Presnal and Caperton * receptive to alternate sug “I think they value« ion, he said, “but there not an alternative." “We’ve got two distridi running at capacity n« having judges Inc. fo shuttle 1 be mine oj Jijuly, the Regents tier epiversitx -d ovc the "Next to in Hat ion, the criminal justice system is probably what most con cerns the average citizen right now. I think that if there is one area that the taxpayers would not complain about spending their taxes for, it is (to fight) crime. " — Bryan. payers add $1,000 a year! judges salaries, whiehaiej the state’ ■ed by Ti Inc. Tl $1.4 mill I to $1.6 i M its No\ appro |,225 to co cted, said Ity manag Ices for bi Ihe bus me lliased 33 144-48 adi 1G Gal.Starting,© $ 27 — INCLUDES b, Punp, Cupg 10 0 LBs ICE l\EG ,~Tu Classic Rock Pi Roll from tax rate might be raised if a court is created are unavailable. However, after the Legislature established the 272nd District Court in 1979, the tax rate was increased 17 cents per $100 eva luation, from 98 cents to $1.15, Ruth McCloud, administrative assistant for the Commissioners Court, says. However, she is quick to add that the tax increase cannot be attributed solely to the creation of the court. Other budgetary con cerns also were accounted for in the tax hike, she said. Bryan, however says the exact tax rate increase is irrelevant. “Next to inflation, the criminal justice system is probably what most concerns the average citizen right now,’’ he says. “I think that if there is one area that the taxpayers would not complain about spend- eome in almoiliL i other week (to lessen ikf load), so well probably! for another (court) soon,” Presnal said he hasnota the cl (strict courts’ prese loads nor has he seenthei tions, but he said thatwk new court is created iipi merits of Brazos Countys Tt boils down to how) up as opposed to otherarf« snia jj s merits of our case," hesiL w m | The Legislature createilfc lIS servic her of courts across the sW M ‘ buses last session and “with tlK , p iin ' ns Y -I clous growth in Texas, I probably be a clamoringli a number of courts again,) Presnal said decisions art mined by the meritoftlien whether it is really ndeess bv the clout of those favoi bill. For that reason alone,! Brazos County needs toIxH United p r can justify its request. “Yotiuh! M AR to he- able to make agood(*ftty judge said. fncys of (»ty police . , r .publieh ers courts support dr( would be helpful, he sail] In this regard, the Com® Court’s /nnn handicap not to «■. Cg^Joh, You never have all theb * ^ ^ your favor, but you certai: L , to have all that von ca ' ^^ you’re striving to something. And if local# l officers there fighting it, it would® 11 • , H w ■ himestor that more difficult. | ny E]li()t) ■ officer D; THE MAX! • ••••• COUPON Pep^ne/i'l V4 lb. Old Fashion Hamburger 99£ (with coupon - limit of 5) Offer good any night 6 p.m. 9 p.m '•••••COUPON •••••I 1 30C rxfc 34 »C 34 k: 3C TAKE A BREAK! Celebrate Chanukah Sunday December 6, 5 p.m. with Homemade Latkes and a Gift Exchange (optional) (bring a gift under $3) at the Jewish Student Center x 800 Jersey / C.S. - rxK: HWY. 6 ACROSS FROM TEXAS WORLD SPEEDWAY ! enemy emit noil