Several top judges in Gwinnett County are advocating for the establishment of a mental health court to address the increasing number of defendants with mental illnesses.
Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson said the judges are requesting more than $1 million in funding as mental health cases surge and criminal filings reach record levels. Superior court criminal cases are expected to hit 8,246 this year, marking a 28% increase.
“I have calendars where, why is this person still in jail? And the reason often was mental health,” said Judge Kristina Hammer Blum, Chief Magistrate…