Although the original funding has run out, two of the four part-time special Hinds County Circuit judges appointed to help clear the county’s voluminous criminal docket will remain on the bench.
One judge has even agreed to donate time to help clear cases.
At the end of 2008, 2,283 felony criminal cases where indictments had been served were pending and another 1,313 had no indictments, according to court records.
Judge L. Breland Hilburn, one of the special judges, disposed of more cases last year than any of the other part-time judges or any of the three full-time elected Hinds County Circuit judges.
He and William Coleman will remain on the job to handle the docket of suspended Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter. They are now paid out of the state Supreme Court’s general fund appropriation for judges’ compensation. Their terms were extended until June 30.
