Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the number of judges in the First Judicial District.

This bill would add a new district judge position in the First Judicial District to be chambered in Kootenai County. Kootenai County is the third fastest growing county in Idaho. It has been projected the county’s estimated July 1, 2023, population of 185,010 will be more than 300,000 by 2040. The district judges in the First Judicial District see the highest level of filings per judge across the state, and district-level civil filings have recently spiked in Kootenai County. For years, district judges from other counties in the First District have covered cases in Kootenai County to assist with the processing of the heavy caseloads there. However, recently it has been necessary for one (1) district judge from another county to travel to Kootenai County well over a week each month and another district judge from a different county to devote a week each month in Kootenai County. This situation negatively affects these visiting judges’ time for handling growing caseloads in other counties, requires the expense of considerable drive time by those judges, and severely limits the time needed to research, draft, and issue decisions. As a result, an additional district judge chambered in Kootenai County is needed to improve the efficiency of the courts and ensure the public’s timely access to justice