As of: March 16, 2024, 12:00 p.m
By: Andrea Beschorner
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Figures and facts about the district court were presented at the annual press conference by Vice Director Manfred Kastlmeier, Managing Director Antje Pavlovic and Director Nicole Selzam.
© Lehmann
In 2023, fewer cases were heard at the Freising District Court than in the previous year.
Director and deputy give reasons for the positive trend.
They describe the cannabis law as a construction site.
Freising
– The Freising district court must hand over half a judge position to the AG Erding.
As Freising's district court director Nicole Selzam explained at the annual press conference, people there are literally overwhelmed with civil proceedings relating to passenger law - starting from the airport.
Last year the number was 11,000 procedures.
This mainly concerns flights that were canceled due to strikes or bad weather.
As of April 1st, Freising will be in a worse position in terms of personnel - with only 11.5 judge positions instead of the previous twelve.
In 2023, there were a total of almost 1,000 civil proceedings to be heard - a slight decrease compared to 2022. In the area of family matters, there were 1,400 proceedings, 2,474 criminal cases, 1,069 administrative offenses and 1,618 probate proceedings.
According to Nicole Selzam, there has been a slight decline in foreclosure proceedings.
The exciting issue of broadcasting fees has relaxed again, which is a sign that “people are doing better financially again.”
Increase in the amount in dispute
Cases with a dispute value of up to a maximum of 5,000 euros are currently being heard at the Freising District Court.
If this is even a cent higher, the regional court is already responsible.
“We want to change that now,” said Selzam.
From January 1, 2025, the amount in dispute will be increased to 8,000 euros.
But why are procedures declining?
In civil law, one can only speculate about this, said Selzam.
“One or the other is definitely feeling better again.
In 2022, there were still a lot of eviction notices from people who could no longer afford the rent,” the director gave a more detailed insight into everyday life at the AG.
Payment behavior has improved again for many people.
“And maybe people aren’t so argumentative anymore.”
Two construction sites in criminal law
In criminal law, judge and deputy director Manfred Kastlmeier spoke of two construction sites that urgently needed to be closed.
Federal lawmakers have increased the minimum sentence for child pornography to one year.
This tightening should now be followed by a relaxation.
“The public prosecutor's office therefore has some cases on hold, waiting until this change has been implemented in Berlin.” Because if you find even a single picture on a defendant's computer, for example of a child in the bathtub, he would be punished to impose a prison sentence of one year.
“Tough cases like this are on hold right now.”
Construction site number two is what Kastlmeier calls the “ominous cannabis law”: public prosecutors are waiting to process numerous matters that will go unpunished once the law comes into force.
In addition, you have to look at all the old procedures again: all those that have not yet been enforced.
“If the last cent of the fine has not yet been paid, the matter will be reviewed again – and the person may then go unpunished.” Which also means that all the files have to be looked through again.
Digitalization is difficult
AG managing director Antje Pavlovic addressed the problems of digitalization, which must be completed by the end of 2025: “The e-file is really causing us problems,” she said.
Relief will only be felt once the files in paper format have all been processed.
In the fall of last year, the district court was not yet ready to electronically process files received electronically from law firms.
“We had to print them out.” In addition, all paper-format files would have to be scanned.
According to Pavlovic, the citizen service installed a year ago has been very well received.