Proposed budget cuts for the California courts already causing a stir

[cowcommander]

Source: Mercury News

When California's judicial leaders decided in 2009 to close courthouses one day per month to save money, it provoked an unprecedented backlash around the state.

Judges who usually keep their criticisms under wraps howled in protest, some forming a rebel group to resist the move. Others, such as court employee unions, took dead aim at the court system's ever-growing bureaucracy and spending on a $2 billion technology program.

But for the largest state court system in the country, that tempest may just be a prelude to what is coming next.

Gov. Jerry Brown, as part of his plan to slash state spending, has proposed cutting $200 million from the California courts in the next budget, on top of the more than $100 million court officials have been forced to cut in the past year. And the prospect of closing the courts again looms large over what is already a fierce debate over how much the justice system can afford to cut -- from Santa Clara County, where court workers protested outside the court administration building last week, to Los Angeles, where judicial leaders warned of a crisis if such drastic cuts are required.



Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/california-budget/ci_17246307?nclick_check=1

[villager]

1. Gosh, the LAPD will have to reconsider their ticket quotas if they aren't allowed to gum up

...the courts as often.

[JDPriestly]

2. Judges and their staff work so hard as it is.

Most people don't see that side of the justice system.

Judges should impose hefty sanctions on lawyers who bring frivolous cases. Also, better mediators are needed especially in family law (at least in Los Angeles).

[davidinalameda]

7. THEIR staff does

I worked for a San Francisco law firm for over two years and I HATED having to call the courts to get information

the clerks who answer the phone were generally okay but there were some who should not be dealing with the public and those were generally in the larger counties

the Beverly Hills courthouse was the absolute worst! There were some rude ass people but there was one woman who was just absolutely horrible.

[JDPriestly]

8. The staff is pretty overwhelmed. Telephone calls are probably

very annoying to them.

[davidinalameda]

9. part of their job is dealing with the public

and if they're that annoyed, they need to find another job

[JDPriestly]

10. The clerks' most important job is keeping the records straight.

Handling the public is not their primary task.

I'm sure you have seen some court files in poor shape. It happens quite a bit. As you well know, they also keep the minutes in the courtroom. You have to learn the etiquette.

And trust me, some of the clerks have a lot influence. Don't ever cross up a clerk. It's your job to be courteous to the clerk.

[grahamhgreen]

3. The only way out is to tax the ultra-rich - they got us into this mess, and they can afford it.

[coalition_unwilling]

12. Not just the ultra-rich. Tax the rich. They all benefit from capitalism and, so,

should have to pay for its maintenance and upkeep. Because nowhere is it written that capitalism is a divinely ordained system.

[greiner3]

4. On the up side;

Less people in prison means a lower stock price on the Conservative's prison staffing scheme. All-in-all it still sucks.

[lunatica]

5. He's also slashing $300 million from higher education

The UC Universities have just gone through a year of furloughs as have all the State offices. As it is the DMV doesn't work 5 days a week anymore. Neither do the Courts.

Ouch.

[coalition_unwilling]

13. I blame Ronald Reagan, Pete Wilson, George Dukmeijan and Arnold

Schwarzenegger. Pity the people of California didn't wake up until it was too late.

[Hubert Flottz]

6. Arnold was about as good for California as Bush was for the...

country.

[bemildred]

11. Another sacred cow under the knife. nt