2016 budget plan comes with rise in court funds
By Laura Ernde
Staff Writer
Gov. Jerry Brown continued the state’s cautious reinvestment
in California’s court system, offering an additional $146.3 million for the judicial
branch in 2016-17.
Brown last month unveiled his statewide spending plan,
including $3.8 billion for the judicial branch. In it, he noted that the level
of proposed trial court funding is 10.5 percent higher than it was before the
recession.
Brown also called for providing $30 million in grants to
courts that improve efficiencies and access to justice. Courts have already
demonstrated the ability to innovate, with programs such as Fresno County’s video
traffic proceedings and San Bernardino County’s automated payment processing,
Brown’s budget message said. It cited other examples like the use of
self-scheduling and kiosks for traffic proceedings and the use of electronic
recordings in family courts. The proposal also calls for:
- An additional $15.6 million to cover
rising costs of providing existing health and retirement benefits.
- A total of $75 million to make up for the loss of revenue from
various fines and penalties.
- A $21.4 million appropriation to pay for the increased court
workload associated with resentencing low-level drug and property crimes
prompted by the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014.
- An additional $7 million for court interpreter services in civil
proceedings.
- A one-time $60 million earmark for deferred maintenance of court
buildings.
“The Governor’s proposed budget would help make courts more
accessible, efficient, and equitable for court users,” Chief Justice
Cantil-Sakauye said. “The Judicial Council looks forward to working with the administration
and Legislature as we seek to address state budget issues affecting access to
justice for the people of California.”
Although Brown’s budget proposal did not contain money for
new judgeships, as the Judicial Council has been advocating, it called for
working with the Judicial Council to shift vacant judgeships to areas of the
state where the need is greatest.
State Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, said he was pleased to
see the governor attempt to address “the tremendous need to improve
California’s dire judge shortage.” Riverside County has one of the highest
caseloads per judicial position in the state, according to a 2015
report.
“This piece of the budget proposal is a small, but critical
first step in the right direction,” Roth said.
The Legislature is reviewing the governor’s proposed budget
with a June 15 deadline for approval.
Meanwhile, the Commission on the Future of California’s
Court System will hold a public
comment session Feb. 8 and 9 on efficiency measures such as increasing
online access in all types of cases, creating a unified juvenile court to
handle both dependency and delinquency cases and ensuring access to court
records for all litigants.
Cantil-Sakauye appointed the commission a year ago. The
commission held a public comment session on Dec. 8 to solicit input on proposed
efficiencies related to judgeships, trial court funding, court-ordered debt and
traffic infractions. A second public comment session will be scheduled for later
this year.