Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Safe and beautiful ‘is not free': DC Courts under pressure with flat funding since 2022

nbcwashington.com · 8hShare

Anyone who visits D.C. courts sees how busy they are. What you don’t see is how busy they are behind the scenes, trying to stretch a tight budget further. People with business at the courthouse described what they faced inside. “There’s not enough people to wait on you,” a woman with a child custody case said. “The lines are long and the waits for the trials are long.” DC Courts Executive Officer Herb Rouson Jr. described what the court system faces. “We’re at a breaking point, really. Well, we’re at a point to where we will not be able to effectively administer justice in the way that the public expects,” he said. Rouson manages the courts’ budget of over $292 million, which is set by Congress. It’s not enough to keep up with all the changes happening in D.C. courtrooms, he said. “Apart from receiving the funding that we need to do so, the public can expect some delays in justice, which isn’t really justice at all,” he said. For years, the News4 I-Team has followed the impact of feder

First report: DC courts are busier, but funding isn’t keeping up with the work — wtop.com, 2d