Texas judge tracks workload in county's courts

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — An Austin-area judge has recently launched a new method to track how busy judges are in the nearly 20 county-funded civil and criminal courts.

The Austin American-Statesman reports that taxpayers spend about $1.5 billion per year on Travis County's justice system, including costs of jail operations, law enforcement and the courts.
The data tracking comes as some in the county's criminal justice community question judges' caseload and workday schedules, suggesting some don't earn their keep.
Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt says the tracking is about transparency and fiscal responsibility.