YAKIMA, Wash.-- New information on Yakima County's continued efforts to reduce court costs. NBC Right Now pulled the numbers and found out about a six-figure savings in the law and justice system in 2012.
The county was able to save more than $100,000 in jury costs just last year.
Court Consultant, Harold Delia says in 2012, Yakima County saw only 91 jury trials. Now, that may seem like a lot, but when you compare it to the almost 140 trials they held just three years prior, it's a big reduction.
Delia says the new criminal calendar system and a bigger emphasis on plea deals are the primary reasons behind the savings.
"There's much more, in my view, sitting down before between the prosecutor and the public defender in trying to see if there's some kind of compromise where the defendant is still held accountable," Delia said.
He says it costs about $1,800 a day for one jury to be called in Yakima County. So, preventing just one case from going to trial can save officials a lot of money.
Delia also says he expects the savings to continue. In fact, they've budgeted about $130,000 less for juries this year, compared to 2012.
