Miscellaneous

Land of Ten Thousand Cuts

By Anne Skove, Esq.

Minnesota's courts are hurting, and went to the legislature (as promised last year when the cuts were made) to prove it.

Here's what they've cut so far:

• Civil arbitration


• Travel


• Training


• Law books (and don't say "well everything's online now")


• Conciliation court calendar (cut by 1/3)

Also: positions have been abolished or frozen. This, while foreclosure cases, the need for interpreters, and mandated psych evals of defendants in criminal sex cases are on the rise.

Something's gotta give (more).

See Court System Short of Cash, Dan Olson, Minnesota Public Radio (February 15, 2008). See also Demand for Interpreters Costing County, Steve Drazkowski, Winona Daily News (February 6, 2008).

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on February 15, 2008 (boomark / email).