Dallas County judge schedules 111 jury trials for one day

DALLAS COUNTY, Texas - A Dallas County district court judge is getting a lot of attention and complaints about her attempt to clear a huge backlog of cases.

Judge Amber Givens is stacking dozens of criminal cases on her daily docket.

On April 1, 111 cases are set for jury trial in Givens' court.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors both say that's too much to handle.

They fear rushed trials could lead to wrongful convictions or dismissals if prosecutors can't prepare a solid case.

One attorney who supports the judge's plan, says those concerns are overblown.

"She's saying that she's following the law, she's doing exactly what she believes the code requires her to do, which is to make sure both sides are ready to proceed at trial in a timely manner," said criminal defense attorney Heath Harris.

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Many of the cases will end in plea deals or other resolution without going to trial.

If a single case does move forward to trial, the others behind it will be reset for another day.