(Austin, TX) -- Texas judges are warning state officials the pandemic is causing a delay in court cases that will be both costly and time-consuming to clear up. On Thursday, Nathan Hecht, chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, told the Senate Finance Committee it'll take three-years to catch up on criminal cases alone, not to mention civil and child protection cases. The committee is considering a budget proposal to cut more than a half-million-dollars a year from a fund to pay for visiting judges. Hecht told senators that would make matters worse.