More court weeks question a mixed bag, says Wagner

Increasing the number of weeks of circuit criminal court in Oconee holds the promise of holding down the jail populations to manageable levels. Sheriff Crenshaw believes increasing the current 12 weeks of General Sessions Court to as many as 18 weeks would avoid the potential for overcrowding in a penal facility barely five years old. But the chief prosecutor in Oconee-Anderson, David Wagner, said that while he personally would like more court, additional court weeks don’t always mean “more efficient use” of the extra weeks. Only the state Court Administration can order additional terms. One of the drawbacks to the idea is the unavailability of additional personnel—especially when it comes to professional court reporters. They are in short supply in South Carolina, and it’s believed there’s only one place that offers courses for the job. Because of record-keeping requirements, if there’s no court reporter available, it doesn’t matter if there’s a judge, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, and a client. Solicitor David Wagner says there have been instances when court time is lost for up to a day or more when there’s no court reporter.