County attorney holds 4 county docket calls each month; files 1,417 new criminal cases
More than $52,000 collected from hot check writers
BY CRAIG CALDWELL SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR
It has been a busy and productive year for the Cherokee County Attorney's office.

CRAIG CALDWELL

T h e C h e r o k e e County Attorney's office represents the State of Texas, State Agencies and the citizens of Cherokee County in the following types of cases: criminal misdemeanor cases (which includes DWI's, assaults, resisting arrest, etc.); bond forfeitures for defendants who do not show up for court, child protective service cases, adult protective services cases, juvenile prosecutions for felony and misdemeanor cases, mental health commitments to the Rusk State Hospital, trials in justice of the peace courts, and appeals from the justice of the peace courts and the municipal courts to the county court

The misdemeanor cases are predominantly the heaviest case load. The following law enforcement agencies send offense reports to the County Attorney's office for processing, filing and trial representation: Cherokee County Sheriff 's Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, the cities of Bullard, Jacksonville, New Summerfield, Reklaw, Rusk, Alto, Wells, Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission, and the Dogwoods Trails Narcotic Task Force. I review each of these reports and determine what charge will be filed and who the witnesses will be for a trail.

Typically we will have four docket calls a month to determine if each case will be going to trial or be handled in another manner. At each docket call approximately 50 or more people come to court. If the individual agrees to enter a plea bargain concerning his/her case, a court order is entered that day placing the person on probation with numerous conditions attached, including a random urinalysis. If an individual wants a trial then the case is given a trial date.

During the fiscal year for the County, i.e., Oct. 05 thru Sept, 06, this office filed 1,417 new criminal cases. Of those 1,417 cases, 354 were DWPs. When a case is set for trial, there is a pretrial hearing before the County Court at Law Judge during the first or second week of each month. A jury is selected two weeks later. We are averaging approximately 15 cases on the jury trial docket each month. During this same period of time there was $52,741 in hot check restitution, court costs, attorney fees and vendor fees assessed or collected. During this same period of time there was $332,903 in bond forfeitures, fines and court costs assessed or collected.

The Cherokee County Attorney's office continues to have an excellent working relationship with the courts, the staff of each court, the district and county clerks, the community supervision and corrections department, the juvenile probation department, the justices of the peace and all of the many law enforcement agencies in Cherokee County.

I am grateful and humbled to be serving the citizens of this county.

I applaud my staff of Jackie Gruber and Kristi Vaught for all their hard and good work. The productivity this office has is only possible because of the outstanding cooperation of all the agencies and offices I have mentioned above. We wish the Cherokee County community a properous new year.

Mr. Caldwell is Cherokee County Attorney