Judge Amy Jorgensen (standing) and Mayor Tom McDermott (seated)

Hammond's Judge Jorgensen offers perspective on closing city court

Contributed By:The 411 News

Scheduled for a vote Monday, January 9th on an ordinance to close the Hammond City Court, Thursday’s meeting was another chance for the city council to hear more input from the public.

The proposal to close the court, Mayor Tom McDermott said, “… has been in discussion for some time. Now we are planning ahead for an expected $4 to $5 million in lost tax revenues when the city will see the full effects of the tax caps in 2020.”

Amy Jorgensen is the current city court judge, chosen by Gov. Mike Pence in November to serve the remainder of the four year term of Judge Jeffrey Harkin, who passed in April of 2016. Some have theorized that the mayor’s decision to close the court is a reaction to the governor appointing a Republican and non-Hammond resident to the position.

The mayor is asking the city council to approve the closing of the city court at the end of Judge Jorgensen’s term to help reduce city expenses in anticipation of those lost tax revenues. For city council members, the mayor said, each could expect to see a reduction in the yearly distribution of casino funds that goes to each district for improvement projects if the measure is not approved.

The court handles criminal and civil cases, evictions, collections, traffic and ordinance violations.

Mayor McDermott is proposing keeping an ordinance violations court and housing it in the Lake County Court building on Russell Street.

Speaking to the council, Judge Jorgensen said she had been quiet on the court matter but she came to the meeting with information to help the council make their decision and not to tell them what to do. “But we need to be careful on what’s being thrown in the court’s bucket as its budget.”

Jorgensen described the city’s numbers for the court as inflated. The mayor has stated the court is costing the city $1.5 million a year. “Our yearly budget is only $700,000,” Jorgensen said. Pointing to numbers given by city controller Heather Garay, she told the council that jail costs were being included in the court’s expenses.

Jorgensen agreed that some but not most of the jail costs could be attributed to the court and that the court’s portion could be reduced. “We can change the way bonds are handled. There is an issue about keeping people in jail if they can’t pay bonds. We want to drastically reduce these numbers, especially for defendants who aren’t a flight risk.”

Jorgensen proposed that an even bigger savings to the city budget could be gained by closing the city jail. “Look at Gary; they closed their jail and kept their court. Plus, it would put more of the city’s police officers on the streets.”

Those opposed to the court’s closing were concerned with the transportation problems some Hammond residents would face traveling to Crown Point. Rev. Homer Cobb, Hammond NAACP Chapter president said making a court date is convenient. “Take for instance the Hammond worker who has to come to court. He only misses a couple of hours off the job. But if he has to go to Crown Point, he would have to miss the whole day.”

Ola Smith said many Hammond residents, especially senior citizens and young people aren’t fortunate enough to have cars and would have difficulty getting to Crown Point.

Following Judge Jorgensen, Mayor McDermott asked the council to consider, “If Mayor McDermott went to St. John and I told them you need a court and a city jail they would tell me to go back to Hammond.” Judge Jorgensen lives in St. John.

But he added, “If the ordinance doesn’t pass the city council, I will sit down with the judge to improve the revenues in the city court.”

A majority of the nine member council is needed to approve the ordinance. Only 2nd District Councilman Pete Torres and 3rd District Councilman Anthony Higgs have voiced opposition to the court’s closing.

Story Posted:01/06/2017