“Justice delayed is justice denied.”

— Legal maxim

Chief District Court Judge Judith Milsap Daniels and District Attorney Matt Scott disagree.

At least that is what we thought when this was being first being written, but changed with the receipt of a letter from Daniels that can be found on this page. Please read it first.

In a story published Monday, Daniels didn’t appear convinced there is a backlog of cases stagnating in the District Court system, and Scott not only believes there is, the district attorney of seven weeks is willing to make his office put in the extra hours to whittle it down. But the backlog must be double-teamed, and the District Attorney’s Office alone brandishes a rather dull sword.

Perhaps it’s a matter of semantics, and Daniels and Scott see the same problem, but characterize it differently. We don’t know, but we do know where we come down on the matter. According to Scott — and it appears now, Daniels, too — there are as many as a thousand DUI cases pending in District Court.

In our minds, that would pretty much be the definition of a backlog, and this legal limbo is unfair both to the accused and to the public that the judicial system is tasked with protecting.

So what got us here?

Well, the backlog certainly isn’t an overnight sensation, and has in fact been years under construction — a product of a crime-ridden county that lacks the resources to adequately dispatch of the growing number of cases in a quick fashion. Instead, they slowly stack up.

There has also been recent turnover among District Court judges that has figuratively tied the hands of justice. Two District Court judges recently have come over from the District Attorney’s Office, and by law they cannot hear criminal cases for six months. There also is an election of a District Court judge that remains uncertified, and although a retired judge has re-enlisted for a short stint, the judges are outgunned so to speak.

And then there is the absence of what we will characterize generously as urgency.

There has been, we have been told by multiple insiders, a casual approach to the disposition of cases in District Court, with too many judges working, shall we say, short weeks. Scott, in fact, told this newspaper that he is willing to tell his assistant district attorneys to come in early and work late as a way to chew through the backlog — but there must be a judge in the courtroom.

We know Scott already has taken some positive steps, including telling his assistant district attorneys to not be so quick to continue cases, and we know also he is working with the Highway Patrol to have troopers in court more often so the DUIs can be disposed of one way or the other.

But Daniels seemed last week not to want to enlist in this effort, saying “it’s complicated” and the required resources for additional courtroom time would be costly. We have no doubt that it’s not as simple as asking the judges to work longer hours, but that would be a start, and as for the cost, the money can be found. It always is.

Daniels’ letter at the bottom of this page indicates that she is indeed willing to double-team the backlog. The time is right because, soon enough, three of the five District Court judges will be newly seated and armed not just with a gavel, but with an energy and an enthusiasm that we are sure inspired them to try to make a difference in the judicial system in this county. We believe they are willing to work.

We know Scott is.

We apologize to Daniels if we misrepresented her position, and are encouraged that she appears on board. This will require a team effort because, as already referenced, justice delayed is justice denied.