An Act To Amend Title 10 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Providing For An Additional Family Court Judge In Sussex County.
Summary
SB 157 amends Title 10 of the Delaware Code to increase the number of Family Court judges from 17 to 18. The additional judgeship is specifically allocated to Sussex County, changing the county residency distribution for Family Court judges from 3 to 4 judges in Sussex County while leaving New Castle County at 10 and Kent County at 3. The bill also preserves the existing structure of the court, including the requirement that all judges have equal judicial authority and that one judge serve as Chief Judge.
According to the synopsis, the new judgeship was already funded in the fiscal year 2025 budget signed by the Governor on June 30, 2024, so the bill serves to align the statute with that budget action and formally authorize the position in law. In practical terms, it expands Family Court capacity in Sussex County and updates the statutory composition of the court to reflect the added seat.
Impact
The bill directly amends Section 906 of Title 10 of the Delaware Code, which governs Family Court judges, by changing the total authorized judgeships from 17 to 18 and revising the county residency allocation to include one additional Sussex County judge. Its legal effect is to codify the new judicial position and ensure the court’s statutory structure matches the funded budget item. The change affects the Family Court system statewide, with the most immediate operational impact in Sussex County, where caseload capacity and judicial coverage are expected to increase.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong bipartisan support and no recorded opposition. The bill passed the Senate 19-0 and the House 35-0, indicating broad agreement that the additional Family Court judgeship was needed and appropriate. The sponsor list also includes members from both parties, reinforcing the sense that the measure was treated as a practical court-administration bill rather than a partisan issue.
Contention
No substantive contention is reflected in the provided materials. There are no committee transcript excerpts, no recorded dissenting votes, and no noted amendments or objections. The only potentially relevant policy consideration is the allocation of an additional judgeship to Sussex County, but the unanimous votes suggest that any concerns about judicial resources, geographic distribution, or budget alignment were either resolved in advance or were not significant enough to generate opposition.
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