Court administrator reports caseload rebound and expands tax‑garnishment collections

Brandon Krooppy, administrator for the 21st District Court, briefed council on caseload trends, collections and technology on March 2.

Krooppy said the court saw a dip in filings in 2023–24 but numbers are rebounding: 2025 filings totaled roughly 8,600 cases, with traffic cases the largest single category. He said approximately 5,000 of those cases were traffic‑related.

The court has expanded a tax‑garnishment program to collect outstanding fines and costs. Krooppy said the program issued 944 garnishments in 2023–24 that yielded nearly $92,000; in the fall of 2025 the court increased garnishments and the administrator expects the program to run about 1,500 garnishments annually going forward.

Krooppy also described modernization efforts: most civil case records now exist in paperless form on the court’s case management platform and a high share of hearings are conducted virtually. He asked for building fund use to update courtroom and technology equipment to sustain virtual operations and maintain public access.

Council members asked clarifying questions about case categories and how traffic volumes are tracked; Krooppy said the court will continue to refine reporting and to coordinate with police and staff on case-processing improvements.