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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Ind. Courts - Most court systems in other states cut to bone

As the Indiana General Assembly contemplates the possible override of the Governor's 2009 veto of HEA 1491, thereby expanding the Court of Appeals by 20%, the National Law Journal reports today on how "Nationwide, State Court Systems Continue to Feel the Pinch." Sheri Qualters writes, in a lengthy story:

As state court systems nationwide struggle with budget shortfalls, a Boston Bar Association task force is trying to head off a proposed $10 million Massachusetts court system cut in the upcoming fiscal year.

The budget decrease for the fiscal year starting July 1 would add to the steep $24.4 million reduction rolled out in the current fiscal year. The court also tightened its belt with $22 million in voluntary reductions during fiscal year 2009.

The state's judicial budget "has been cut so far to the bone" already, said Joan Lukey, the chairwoman of a Boston Bar Association task force on the FY 2011 Judiciary Budget. "The question is, at what point do you reach the precipice and fall over?" said Lukey, a Boston litigation partner at Ropes & Gray. "It's difficult for a court to perform its function [in some areas]." * * *

But Massachusetts is far from the only state feeling pinched.

Court systems in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Texas and Virginia are facing slashed budgets, higher fees and fewer resources or demands to curtail spending. Court systems in the District of Columbia and Maryland, in contrast, are faring comparatively well.

New York Gov. David A. Paterson recommended $130 million in cuts for the state's judiciary in the 2010-11 year, which begins on April 1, according to The New York Law Journal, an NLJ affiliate publication. * * *

In California, the state's budget crisis forced the courts to close once a month beginning last September.

Other austerity measures include judicial pay cuts, a hiring freeze and the closure of the California Supreme Court's clerk's office in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County, Calif., Superior Court also expects to lay off more than 300 people this month.

Despite the fiscal pain, California Chief Justice Ronald M. George said in his Feb. 24 State of the Judiciary Address that the court would still continue to support funding for a systemwide computerization project for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. He also said he would not re-channel construction funding to operational expenses.

The 200-member Alliance of California Judges, formed in the wake of the court closure policy, has criticized those decisions. "Right now, they've been dumping literally hundreds of millions of dollars into a statewide computer system," said alliance director and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles Horan. "While it's nice, it is an extravagance that can't be afforded right now while we're closing." * * *

In Arizona, the state court budget has been slashed by $38 million since July 1, 2007, said Jennifer Liewer, communications officer for the Arizona Supreme Court. She said the court has limited travel, imposed a hiring freeze and asked for voluntary pay reductions.

In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus asked each state agency and appellate court in January to submit a plan for saving 5 percent on their 2010-2011 appropriations, according to The Texas Lawyer, an NLJ affiliate.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 11, 2010 02:25 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts