With a federal government shutdown looming out of Washington, states are following suite with the reexamination of funding, specifically targeting their court systems. Court funding crises have been averted in Florida, but are unraveling in New York--forcing state officials to make formidable decisions.

Florida has thwarted the court system dilemma for a finite amount of time. To avoid furloughs and cutting down on legal services, Florida’s Chief Justice Charles Canady and Gov. Rick Scott’s office have agreed to tap into the state’s reserves until the end of May.

The court loan will only cover $19.5 million of the $72.3 million deficit in court funding, which was attributed to the dramatic decrease in mortgage foreclosure filing fees.

The deficit will continue to be bolstered through spending cuts and appropriations for the remainder of the fiscal year, ending on June 30. The shortfall is not expected to continue into the upcoming fiscal year since foreclosure filing fees are anticipated increase.

Instead of bailing out their court system, New York state officials settled on shutting down the courtrooms a half-hour early every day to cut costs, particularly overtime by court personnel. As part of the state budget passed a week ago, the state reduced cut judiciary funds by $170 million.

New York’s chief administrative judge Ann Pfau requested the courts close 30-minutes early in a two-page memorandum to judges. Pfau said the number of layoffs can be reduced if the state makes an effort to eradicate unnecessary spending. The early closings are to be implemented immediately.

It has not been determined how much money the early shutdowns will cut in costs, but at least New York is proving that some states are willing to make cuts in all area, including the court systems, to balance their budgets.

Filed Under : Corrections & Criminal Justice

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