Litigation

AL Chief Justice: ?There is Nothing Else to Cut?

By Peter Hardin

Hundreds of layoffs are coming in Alabama’s court system as a result of the governor’s new budget proposal, Alabama Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb (photo at right) warned.

As many as 500 people will be laid off starting Oct. 1, as a result of a 10 percent budget cut for the Unified Court System, she told a joint session of the state legislature, according to a Huntsville Times article. She said she was grateful the proposed cuts were not deeper.

The administration of Gov. Robert Bentley has eyed saving about $4 million through revisions to retirement benefits, but the savings won’t start coming until the 2013 budget year, Justice Cobb said.

She said the Bentley administration had indicated the courts would save about $4 million through changes in retirement benefits, but she said those savings won’t be realized until the 2013 budget year. “Somebody has got to find a way to come up with those dollars,” Cobb said. She added:

“If they don’t, I may have to cut out small claims courts; I may have to cut out half the jury trials in this state; I don’t have the personnel. We literally have cut and cut and cut. There is nothing else to cut.”

According to a text of her speech, Justice Cobb said “the possible reduction in funding to the courts will have a devastating impact on our ability to provide equal justice under the law.”

As state courts across the nation struggle to adjust to funding shortfalls, Gavel Grab periodically is highlighting approaches taken in different states. To learn more about the court funding crisis, check out these earlier Gavel Grab posts.

Full post as published by The Gavel on March 09, 2011 (boomark / email).