Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai praised District Attorney Joe Gonzales during Tuesday's commissioners meeting for making progress on a backlog of high-risk criminal cases.
Gonzales told commissioners pending cases in the past 16 months have been cut by 11%, from 6,300 to around 5,600.
"Public safety is something at the top of my list," Sakai said. "I have no doubt that you are committed to the public safety of this community."
The reduction in the backlog grew out of recommendations from a county-city public safety commission formed by Sakai and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
The commission set goals to keep repeat offenders off the streets after a series of officer-involved shootings last August.
Gonzales also reported his office managed to review 50% more cases between Jan. 1 and Feb. 9, compared to the same period last year. He also said indictments were up 74% to start the year, compared to 2023.
Gonzales said his 45 assistant DAs worked overtime on the stack of backlogged cases even as new cases came in.
"The backlog reduction has been a huge success, and it would not be possible without the hard work of our prosecutors," he added. "But likewise, commissioners, this would not be possible without the grateful help you have given us."
Commissioners increased salaries in the DA's office, but there is still a staffing shortage, Gonzales said.
Sakai did ask Gonzales to make sure any high-risk criminal defendant that cuts off a monitoring device while awaiting trial to be held legally accountable for doing so.
