SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County’s Cadena-Reeves Justice Center is struggling to keep up with the region’s booming population and rising caseloads, prompting calls for more space and additional courtrooms.
With hallways crowded and courtrooms filled to capacity daily, some courtrooms now require family members of defendants to wait outside during docket calls.
Criminal District Court Judge Ron Rangel spoke with KSAT 12 about the strain on the courthouse, which currently houses 10 district felony courts, a pre-indictment court, and 15 county courts.
“The courthouse space has always been an issue. We’ve seen it coming for several years,” Rangel said.
He noted that while the issue has been raised with county commissioners, no substantial action has been taken.
The lack of courtroom space has led to delays in jury trials, with judges and cases waiting for available rooms. Rangel said this has had a direct impact on case processing times.
“The lack of courtroom space has absolutely affected our caseloads. If we have a courtroom that specifically cannot have a jury trial and we have judges waiting, wanting to have a jury trial, that obviously is going to have an effect,” Rangel said.
County officials have explored purchasing unused spaces downtown, including nearby parking lots, as potential sites for new courthouses or additional courtroom space. Rangel, however, believes a new building is ultimately necessary to meet the county’s demands.
“So, agreements that we’ve made with the county as it relates to building courtroom space are years in the making, and we’re still waiting for some of that to get started,” he said.
As the county’s population continues to grow, Rangel emphasized the need for long-term solutions to accommodate future caseloads, noting that short-term fixes are insufficient.
“This issue isn’t going to go away,” Rangel said. “Rather than look at short-term solutions, take care of the county as a whole. I think our taxpayers deserve that.”
KSAT 12 reached out to county officials, who have yet to respond about any plans to address the lack of space.
The county director of facilities management Dan Curry sent KSAT 12 the following statement about the lack of court space:
“Courts and their support functions such as court staff, have always been a critical piece of the County’s building space inventory. We are acutely aware of the space constraints and are continually developing ideas and strategies to provide additional space. This challenge is not unique to judiciary though. As County functions continue to grow, so does the demand for office space and service counters for those needing to access County services. We continually have dialogue with Offices and Departments as well as the Commissioners Court on areas to study, opportunities for efficiency, and long-range planning for future space needs.”