Clallam County Superior Court has been increasingly busy over the past decade, and 2005 is already the busiest year ever.
The year still has almost a month to go, but it has seen more criminal cases coursing through the court system than in 2004, or any year before it.
In 2004, prosecutors opened 564 separate criminal cases, according to data from the Clallam County Superior Court Administrator’s Office.
As of Thursday, 587 people have had charges brought against them, according to numbers from the Superior Court Clerk’s Office.
It doesn’t take long for Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Deborah Kelly to name the reason for the record-breaking year.
“Meth,” she said.
The number of felony and gross misdemeanor cases involving methamphetamine has more than doubled during the past 10 years as well.
In 1994, 235 criminal cases were filed in Superior Court.
Meth increases crime rate
In addition to crimes directly associated with meth use and production, the drug has been a significant contributor to an increase in property and violent crimes, Kelly said.
Although Kelly said she believes methamphetamine is the reason for the increasing number of people entering the county’s criminal justice system, substance abuse in general plays an important role, she said.
She said substance abuse of some kind, either drugs or alcohol, is involved in most criminal cases her office handles.
Total Superior Court cases, which includes criminal, civil, domestic, adoption, mental illness and juvenile cases, has also increased 47 percent over the past 10 years.
In 1994, Superior Court saw a total of 2,576 filings. Last year, filings increased to 3,789.
In October, Clallam County commissioners approved a proposed third judge for Clallam County Superior Court.