Harris County district attorney declares years-long case backlog eliminated

HOUSTON - Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare declared Tuesday that the criminal case backlog that has plagued the local justice system for years has been eliminated.

Clearing the backlog

The backstory:

The backlog of felony and misdemeanor cases began after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The district attorney’s office says Harris County Commissioners Court provided it with an additional $7.5 million in funding last year to bolster its work streamlining cases and supporting alternative resolutions. Officials say these funds helped revamp the agency’s intake system, hire additional prosecutors, and assist in improving how quickly cases are adjudicated.

By the numbers:

According to the district attorney’s office:

• In March 2016, the average number of pending felony cases per court stood at 904.
• By 2021, that number had surged to 2,384 cases.
• Data released Tuesday shows the average has now dropped to 728 cases per court—lower than pre-2017 levels.

What they're saying:

"Today we have reached a major milestone for public safety in our community," Teare said. "For too long, a dangerous criminal court backlog sent the wrong message: offenders could wait out the system and delay consequences while victims waited for justice. Justice delayed truly is justice denied—both for victims and the accused. Which is why I’m proud how we’ve turned these trends around. Thank you to our prosecutors, support staff, investigators, the judges, court staff, and law enforcement partners who worked together. There is still work to be done. But this milestone removes what's weighted down our court system for too many years. This is good for justice, and it saves taxpayers millions of dollars every year."

Impact on the county jail

Big picture view:

The district attorney’s office says prosecuting felony cases helps reduce pressure on the jail system. Officials say at the beginning of this year, the daily jail population was down 12% from the same time the year before, and the average time someone spends in jail has dropped by 30 days.

The district attorney’s office says it is resolving cases faster, more trials are happening, prosecutors are making "smart" charging decisions, and inmates with addiction and mental health challenges are being diverted to rehabilitation services.