LA court faces backlash from budget cuts
Previously on this blog, we looked into how state-level budget cuts were wreaking havoc on court reporting services at courthouses and other legal facilities. In one recent instance, though, the people are fighting back.
Last week, hundreds of protesters appeared in front of Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles to voice their opposition to budget cuts and closures in the justice system. Because of the cuts, which are dictated by the state, legal employees have witnessed staffing shortages, higher court fees, significant delays and even court closures in some cases. In response, protesters outside the courthouse called for the government to re-evaluate the way it looks at the court system and to make its intentions more transparent. One attendee told The L.A. Times that the decision to close courts was "about the dumbest thing the government has ever done."
Meanwhile, the court system is attempting to close an $85 million budget gap between its current status and where the state demands it to be by July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
According to the news source, the California legal system will eventually cut 511 employees – all necessary positions, said a judge – from its books by June. These moves are a continuation of drastic financial decisions made recently. Over the last four years alone, the courts have cut 24 percent of their total workforce, while cases continue to mount as a rising pace.
"It affects victims, it affects defendants, it affects lawyers, it affects police departments, it affects families, it affects businesses, it affects the rich and the poor," David S. Wesley, presiding judge of the L.A. County Superior Court, said to the L.A. Times.
As the situation in California has shown, making cuts in the justice system can lead to significant backlash. That's why it's important to make sure that funds are properly allocated for Wisconsin court reporters.
