Houston Police 'welcome' addition of 3 Harris County judges approved by commissioners court to relieve busy dockets

Three new visiting judges have been approved by the Harris County Commissioners Court to help with a backlog of court cases. 

It was a unanimous vote by the Harris County Commissioners Court to spend $2.5 million on the addition, according to a Houston Public Media article. 

"HPD welcomes the opportunity to dialogue and work with community leaders and elected officials to develop solutions to allow crime victims and those charged with a crime to have their day in court," Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry J. Satterwhite said in a Twitter post. 

The judges will commence work on some of the most intractable cases in late August, the Houston Public Media article said. 

"To make a real dent in crime and bring justice, we must invest in what works, not what scores political points and splashy headlines. Looking forward to supporting an emergency measure tomorrow to alleviate our dangerous Criminal Court backlog," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a Twitter post. 

Hidalgo said that there are about 100,000 total criminal court cases pending in Harris County, according to a press release.

This backlog includes 40,000 cases that are past national standards for how long it has taken for them to be heard, which includes more than 20,000 cases that are more than a year old, Hidalgo said in the press release.

"Alleviating our unacceptable and dangerous criminal court backlog is the most impactful thing we can do right now – today – to reduce and prevent crime in Harris County. Justice delayed is justice denied. Denied for victims of crime and denied for those who are accused of violent crime," she said in the press release.

In June, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved more than $17 million dollars for additional law enforcement and associate judges to speed up criminal court cases, the press release said.