State District Judge Eric Moyé has agreed to reopen a lawsuit between Dallas County commissioners and the county juvenile department.
Darryl Beatty, the department’s executive director, asked Moyé to reconsider the case for commissioners to approve routine annual staff raises.
The dispute started during spring over access to juvenile records that allegedly suggest minors were left alone in detention for extended periods, among other concerns brought to commissioners court by parents of detained minors.
Beatty alleged in late summer that commissioners rejected 5 percent raises for his department’s staff in retaliation because they were denied access to juvenile records.
Before the Thanksgiving holiday commissioners voted to approve a $50,000 contract to pay attorneys representing both sides in the lawsuit.
Commissioner John Wiley Price, who was removed recently from the juvenile board after two decades, voted not to pay attorneys.
Dallas County’s juvenile justice system has been under scrutiny since a report about its operations was released in March.
Nonprofit organization Evident Change, found several problems with the county’s system, including keeping children detained on average 95 days, longer than the national standard of 30 days.
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