It shouldn’t be a surprise that the number of cases filed in Monongalia County magistrate and circuit courts in 2020 was lower than in 2019.
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia released its 2020 annual statistics report which details the caseloads of family court, circuit court, and magistrate court in all 55 West Virginia counties.
Monongalia County Circuit Court saw 1,812 case filings in 2020, down from the 1,887 total cases filed in 2019. Civil cases made up most of 2020’s circuit court caseload with 1,170. There were 378 criminal cases filed and 264 juvenile cases. In 2019, 1,193 civil, 378 criminal, and 316 juvenile cases were filed.
West Virginia has 31 circuit courts, which can include as many as four counties. Monongalia County is the 17th Circuit and has three of the state’s 75 circuit judges, according to the report. Circuit judges are elected in non-partisan elections and serve eight-year terms.
Statewide, about 12.5% fewer cases were filed in circuit court than in 2019, the report said.
Monongalia County Magistrate Court had 4,056 total criminal filings in 2020 — a significant drop from the 5,956 in 2019.
“It did feel like there were a lot less,” Magistrate Sandy Holepit said.
Motor vehicle misdemeanors made up 1,796 of those cases, 85 were filed by the Division of Natural Resources, and 1,560 were other misdemeanors. There were 43 motor vehicle felonies and 537 felony case filings.
Small-claim civil cases made up the majority of the 2,246 total civil cases filed in magistrate court in 2020, with 1,605. Magistrates also heard 155 personal safety petitions and 486 emergency protection orders.
In 2019, there were 2,832 civil filings in magistrate court.
Holepit said recently things seem to be picking up for 2021, and she expects things will return to normal once the fall semester starts.
“Especially once football games are opened up to everybody,” she said.
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