Cole County is fortunate to have Judge Richard Callahan back on the bench, but it's only a stopgap measure for a persistent problem.
Callahan was Cole County's circuit judge until 2010, when he was nominated by then-President Barack Obama to be the U.S. attorney for Eastern Missouri. He resigned that post last year, with the usual change of attorneys that comes with a new president.
Starting next month, Callahan will have the title of "senior judge." He will hear Cole County felony cases set for trial and other similar cases in an effort to reduce the caseload of the other three circuit judges. He also will hear some civil cases.
Callahan has a good legal mind and a strong work ethic. He's had a longstanding reputation in Cole County for fairness and impartiality.
Former Presiding Judge Byron Kinder has performed similar work for the county in his retirement.
However, the county needs more than just a hand from its retired judges. It needs more funding for judges, just as the state public defender needs more funding for attorneys.
With the Public Defenders Office not taking cases for six months due to its case overload, the average length of cases getting through the circuit courts has increased by 100-200 days, Presiding Judge Pat Joyce told us last week.
Cole County currently has three circuit judges and one associate circuit judge.
Cole County's caseload is one of the highest in the state because it is the seat of county and state government.
Joyce said the county has been ranked as the No. 1 or No. 2 county in the state in need of more judges. Specifically, reviews have shown the county needs 21/2 more judges to adequately serve the 19th judicial circuit.
Two years ago, the Legislature approved 10 more circuit judges for the state. Unfortunately, approving and funding the positions are two different things, and the Legislature hasn't done the latter.
Meanwhile, county officials are coordinating to deal with the problems the best they can.
However, if our state's judicial system is woefully underfunded, defendants lose their constitutional right to a speedy trial.