Court systems experience delays due to sequester
Previously on this blog, we've looked into the dire financial straits that many court systems find themselves in, particularly on the state level. One such instance is in California, where court reporting services have seen their budgets slashed amid a host of other monetary restrictions. These moves have created a sizable backlash from those both the public and those in the justice system. However, the realities of the U.S. economy have forced state administrations to make difficult decisions.
Now, though, it appears that the same problem is occurring on the federal level. As a result of the sequester, the government is now moving to make significant cuts across a number of departments, with the federal court system among them, according to a blog post on the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) website. In the coming months, it's expected that there will be significant staffing and resource cuts in order to meet the strict financial demands of the sequester.
"Around the country federal workplaces, including federal courts, have begun to lay off workers or shorten the work week through furloughs, as well as take other steps to work within the new budgets cuts," the NCRA wrote in the blog post. "However, few in the media have yet to note the sequester's effects on the federal judiciary, which has hurt access by the public to the judicial process and to the court system overall."
As a result of these financial restrictions, it is expected that there will be significant delays throughout the court system. With fewer staff, especially realtime court reporters, to go around, it will take longer for the legal system to arrange enough staff to move forward with proceedings.
Even with these cuts, local legal professionals know that no trial or deposition can occur without a Wisconsin court reporter performing the transcription.
