Over the past two years, so-called debt claim cases like Blair’s have nearly doubled in this precinct encompassing the southwest portion of the county. On Wednesdays, Friesenhahn’s debt court day, the cozy Morawietz Courtroom - named for the husband and wife judges who held court in the precinct for a quarter-century - increasingly has become crowded with lawyers seeking the legal green light to collect unpaid credit card bills.
“It just jumped overnight,” said clerk Shelbie Caddell.