‘Model for the state.’ New judge aims to cut public’s wait time in Columbus Recorder’s Court
About 40,000 cases a year come through Columbus Recorder’s Court, the charges ranging from murder to misdemeanor traffic offenses.
For people unfamiliar with the courts, it’s usually their first encounter with the criminal justice system, and often it’s not pleasant.
Ticketed for a minor violation, they can sit for hours in the brick building on 10th Street next to the Muscogee County Jail, watching their day tick away as they wait for their case to be called.
“Most of them are good law-abiding citizens who happened to get into an accident or got caught speeding a little bit, whatever it may be, and they shouldn’t be treated like criminals,” said David Ranieri, formerly a county assistant solicitor general who was sworn in Friday as the new chief judge, for the city’s court of first appearance, replacing retiring Chief Recorder’s Court Judge Julius Hunter.
“We need to get them in and out, and move forward so they can get on with their day,” Ranieri added. “They shouldn’t have to take a day off work to come down here and be here to take care of their case.”
On Feb. 26, two assistant judges will join Ranieri: Susan Henderson, an attorney currently in private practice, and Al Whitaker, formerly a chief assistant district attorney with the six-county Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit based in Columbus.
When everyone is on board, Ranieri wants to run two courts at once, to take more cases quickly and reduce the hang time that leaves people sitting in the courtroom, waiting to be called up. He also wants to ensure the court is adequately staffed with clerks and deputies, to close any gaps that could slow the proceedings.
“It’s an extremely busy court,” he said in an interview after Friday’s ceremony. “Everything comes through here, and in the past, in my view, it’s kind of been treated as a part-time court. And I think the view we’re taking now is this really needs attention. It really needs dedication full-time to make it more efficient, and we’re hoping to make it a model for the state.”
The people summoned to court aren’t the only ones stuck waiting there, when cases get backlogged: So are the law enforcement officers involved, he noted. So his goal also is to “keep our officers on the street, as much as possible, and not have them sit in the courtroom,” he said.
Down the road, he expects city leaders will be looking to improve the facilities. The building has two courtrooms, one sometimes used by Superior Court judges who have multiple felony cases on a single docket. That leads to crowding and leaves those summoned searching for a place to park in the limited spaces outside.
The city is looking at nearby buildings for more court space, he said.
“I think we’re looking at some options right now,” he said. “The TSYS building across the street is a possibility. I don’t want to commit anyone to anything right now, because obviously it does take taxpayer money, and I think immediately our attention will be the focus on the use of these two courtrooms efficiently, and then we may be looking at other places to hold a third court.”
The former TSYS building at 1000 5th Ave. also has been considered as a possible headquarters for the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, currently housed in the Government Center tower. The Government Center complex at 100 10th St. eventually will be demolished as the city builds a new judicial center there.
Ranieri has 34 years experience in the law. Besides serving since 2014 as chief assistant solicitor for Muscogee State Court, he has been a senior assistant solicitor general, a senior assistant district attorney, and a captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
This story was originally published January 2, 2023 at 12:00 AM.