Since 2008 we have seen the California Court System diminish in terms of efficiency and production. The years 2012 and 2013 look to be no different, as this year the Los Angeles Court System will look to cut $30 million from its already reduced budget. This cut in the budget will be responsible for closing down approximately 56 court rooms and will eliminate 350 court employees. These budget cuts will affect all areas of the law, primarily the Juvenile Court Program/ Delinquency Courts, a program that annually sees more than 100,000 troubled minors. This past fiscal year the Los Angeles Court system shaved off $70 million from its budget, it still needs to cut $48 million more. The measure which passed this past Tuesday April 17, 2012, will only account for $30 million. All cuts will take place during the next fiscal year.
The big question is “Who will these budget cuts affect and how will they affect me?”
The answer: These cuts will undoubtedly affect anyone with a criminal, civil, family, juvenile case. For example, as of June 15, 2012, there will no longer be a Juvenile Traffic Court in Los Angeles County. The Juvenile Traffic Court had already been reduced to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but as of June 15, 2012, it the Court will cease to exist all together.
Moreover, drastic cuts such as these means longer lines to file paperwork, making cases move slower than they already do. For family law cases this means delaying divorces and stretching out custody battles. For criminal and juvenile cases this means there is less time and attention being spent on each individual case. This is a major concern for both Los Angeles County Criminal Defense Attorneys and Los Angeles County Juvenile Defense Attorneys. For family law cases, the Courts will stop providing court reporters for family trials and holding back their use in motions and hearings, also a major concern for Los Angeles County Family Attorneys. Litigants in civil cases will have to hire their own transcribers if they wish to have testimony recorded.
Los Angeles has the largest Trial Court System in the nation, making cuts such as these particularly significant. The only problem is that this is only the beginning of many foreseeable cuts to come in the future, particularly if California State Governor Jerry Brown’s tax measure fails on the November ballot. If this initiative fails in the November ballot then you can expect an additional $125 million to be cut from the budget beginning January 2013.
These budget cuts make it even more imperative that your case is handled correctly the first time. Call 1(800) 351-6860 to speak to an experienced, aggressive Los Angeles County Criminal Defense Attorney, Los Angeles County Juvenile Law Defense Attorney, or Los Angeles County Family Law Attorney.
