31 July 2009

California Courts Close

"Every district court is considered always open[.]"

-- Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 77(a) (in part).

In California, however, which is struggling under the weight of a massive budget crisis, that produced deep cuts in a recent budget resolution, this isn't quite the case.

The Judicial Council on Wednesday ordered all California courthouses closed once a month starting Sept. 16, despite ongoing complaints from labor groups, sheriffs and some judges that the closures are unnecessary and potentially dangerous. . . .

The third-Wednesday-each-month closures will save an estimated $85.3 million and are a key part of the judicial branch's overall plan to cut spending, raise fees and siphon savings to close a $393 million deficit. The Legislature authorized the closures as part of the $26 billion budget revision signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday.


From Law.com.

The judicial branch cuts comprise 0.15% of the total budget deal signed for this fiscal year. The closures account for a little less than a quarter of the total judicial branch savings.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What does the federal rule of procedure have to do with these state courts?

Andrew Oh-Willeke said...

The FRCP is a widely adopted aspirational philosophy (widely copied by state courts) for how a court system should work.

Anonymous said...

of course, the obvious question is whether this particualr federal rule has been "copied" by the California courts. A point, a relevant point, which you've not addressed.