CA Court Council Reconsiders Construction

California’s governing council for the courts voted unanimously Monday to “reassess” the cost of building 13 new courthouses, a move intended to save the cash-strapped judiciary $1.1 billion. Read More.

Edmon, Wesley Outline Plans for Closure of 56 Courtrooms

The presiding judge and assistant presiding judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday gave the most detailed information to date regarding the court’s plan to close 56 courtrooms in order to meet its share of statewide judicial branch budget cuts. Read More

350 workers face layoffs, 56 courtrooms to close after $30M in state cuts

A state-ordered cut of $30 million to the Los Angeles Superior Courts budget will prompt the closure of 56 courtrooms countywide, layoffs of 350 workers and the “erosion of access to justice,” an official said Tuesday. Read More

Cast of Court Players Call Upon California for Critical Funding

Budget cuts have left the California justice system “in shambles,” judges, lawyers and court employees claimed at the Capitol on Monday, hoping more state aid will keep courtrooms open. Read More

Plan calls for major cuts to LA county juvenile courts system

All 13 Informal Juvenile and Traffic Courts will be closed and four Delinquency Courts shuttered under the latest Los Angeles County Superior Court plan to deal with millions in proposed state budget cuts, according to an email sent last week by Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Michael Nash to L.A. County officials. Read More

Jennifer London of KCET’s SoCal Connected discusses the future impact of the continued budget cuts on foster care.

Over the last three years LA’s Superior Court system has seen its budget chopped by $650 million, but the extent of cuts has not been deeply felt thanks in part to the use of reserve funds.

But that’s about to change. Earlier this month, the court announced the layoff of 300 employees and the closure of 50 courtrooms. The cuts will result in longer wait times for cases to get resolved.

And in Dependency Court – where the fate of children in foster care is decided – that means longer periods of separation for children and their parents.

Jennifer London of KCET’s SoCal Connected joins the show to discuss the future impact of the continued budget cuts on foster care.  View Video>>

Judicial Council Unanimously Votes to Stop CCMS Deployment

The Judicial Council of California yesterday pulled the plug on its ambitious computer project, which was intended to electronically connect every courthouse in the state but cost taxpayers more than $500 million… Read More

Labor Puts Shoulder Into Push to Stop CCMS

In a battle that goes back into history, labor representatives were in the front ranks of those fighting Tuesday against an IT project… Read More

AFSCME Members Help Put a Halt to Boondoggle Court Computer Project

Leaders from AFSCME’s four courts Locals have been meeting for months with legislators about the boondoggle Court computer system, known as CCMS, saying that the funding for that project should instead be used to keep trial courts open. In these austere budgetary times, a mismanaged project that had ballooned from a $250-million to $1.9 BILLION could no longer be justified. Read more →

Calif. chief justice warns of ‘dangerous delays’

California’s chief justice warned Monday that hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts to the state court system at a time of rising… Read More