Courts choking on cash deficit

May 17, 2012

Deep budget cuts to state courts proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown have judges predicting a “rationing” of justice. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Brown wants to shave $544 million from the court system budget as part of the governor’s plan to close an estimated $16 billion deficit.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said of the proposed spending cuts, “The bottom is going to fall out. We’ve done all that we can.” She accused budget writers of “rationing” equity in the nation’s largest judicial system.

She said that four straight years of state reductions totaling $653 million have caused civil courtrooms to close, clogging calendars; building repairs have been postponed; and legal services for indigents are bring reduced.

Cantil-Sakauye also expressed concern that the state’s court system is moving toward two-tiered justice, where the wealthy will be able to opt out of the system by choosing private arbitration — a situation that would cloak many of those cases in secrecy.


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Hell

Simple

Do what everyone else, do what anyone else does!

Live Frugal, use coupons when shopping, eat in cheaper resturants,take the damn bus, even ride a bicycle to work if it is not too far, do your own maintainence and clean up, and relinquish some of your tax paid benefits/ priviledges and live/ endure like the rest of us!


The medical marijuana cases clog the crap out of our judicial system and for what? Just so people like the old NTF commander Rodney John can toot their own horn about how well he did? Zero convictions with dismissals and rejections is what he got. Our own US Rep. Kevin McCarthy voted to NOT cut funding to the DEA for raiding medical marijuana facilities in states where the people have voted mmj in. He is bending over to big pharma and the prison industrial complex and is not representing the will of the people. Politicians like him need to go. They are a major part of the problem.


How much is spent yearly for translators? I was at one trial where there were two for the same defendant (at public expense) in case one did not understand the ongoing process.


Sounds as if the “Golden State” were getting ready to shut down.


Your mean the “gold leaf” state !!!!


What about our local judges who opted not to take furlough cuts.I think now is the time!