Miscellaneous

Rural Justice

By Anne Skove, Esq.

Frugal is making do with what you have. Cheap is thinking no one will notice if you cut corners.

When cutting back, be sure to do so carefully. You might accidentally cross the line between frugal and cheap.

In Iowa, cutbacks are turning into an access issue for rural residents. Sixteen rural counties had 2 magistrates each. That number will be reduced to one, based on a workload study by the National Center for State Courts. Foes of the cuts say residents may have to travel for justice.

Now, one magistrate (presumably one who is about to be cut) is asking for an injunction to stop the cuts from occurring. Iowa law requires any adjustment of magistrates to be completed by March in any given year. The state court administrator apparently did not make his decision until mid-April.

See Magistrate Sues to Block Cutback in Rural Court Jobs, Jennifer Jacobs, Des Moines Register (April 22, 2009), and stay tuned.

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on April 26, 2009 (boomark / email).