This post regarding the AOC budget is of such importance and puts a little more meat to the AOC press release, I have taken the liberty to post most of Beth Musgrave's piece from the Herald Leader.  Please note that this looks like a "real" budget cut, unlike the one last year when many jobs were eliminated but most were rehired at other positions.

The folks at the AOC should read some of the comments to get a taste and feel of those on the street regarding these budgetary decisions during this recession:

John Doe | Apr 29, 2010 | Reply

I am just thankfull the managers received their pay raises when they did otherwise they might not have received such high percentage increases due to the cuts.

Jon | Apr 29, 2010 | Reply

As long as every county in the state gets an expensive new courthouse layoffs are irrelevant, right?

DANIEL | Apr 29, 2010 | Reply

The court system needs an overhaul and they are making enemies left and right with epo?s that get out of the judge?s office without proof of any wrong doing..

Moving individuals out of their homes based on one person?s false word. I see more budget cutting on the way. As a woman, I understand the need to be cautious but also verify this stuff before causing wrongful pain for vengence..

Big Zeke | Apr 29, 2010 | Reply

HOW ABOUT COME WE START WITH THE MANAGERS? BIG ZEKE TINKS DAY GET PAYED TOO MUCH:

TEAGUE, DOUGLAS MANAGER $90,415.00

DENT, SARA ADMINISTRATOR $86,719.00

WILLIAMSON, DEBORAH EXECUTIVE OFFICER $86,706.00

YEWELL, PATRICK EXECUTIVE OFFICER $83,749.00

HENDERSON, CAROLE BUDGET DIRECTOR $83,472.00

BUGG, LARRY DEVELOPMENT SUPERVISOR $81,816.00

GANESAN, MICHAEL PROGRAMMER $81,768.00

WHAT ISS THT MAN PROGRAMMING?!? GOLD BARS? WAT USE IS BUDGET DIRECTOR OF PLACE WITH UNBALLANCED BUDGGET?

THEY MUSST LIVE IN THE KENTUCKY CASTLE THEY MAKE SEW MUCH!!!!!

sbrine1007 | Apr 30, 2010 | Reply

Here is a novel idea, what if we reset to 2004?.

in terms of wages for ALL without regard to years of service?in other words, we go back 6 years in pay?then we all would retain our jobs and yes, somethings would cost more BUT a realignment in priorities would occur which is happening now anyway?it would mean a mental transformation for all?but, I, for one, think is do able?

Kentucky courts slashing 113 jobs

By Beth Musgrave - bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT ? Kentucky courts will axe 113 positions over the coming months to help make up an expected $6.8 million shortfall for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The job reduction is the largest layoff in the court?s history and follows a smaller round of cutbacks last year. More belt tightening is likely again next year, when a $10.6 million shortfall is expected.

Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. called the numbers ?staggering? and ?sobering.?

?If we are to balance our budget, we must make widespread reductions to court operations,? Minton said in a news release. ?These reductions will affect all four levels of the court system.?

The cost-cutting measures include:

? Cutting at least 18 staff positions from the state?s family court programs;

? Abolishing drug courts set aside for families and juveniles;

? Axing 21 trial commissioners;

? Cutting overtime for all deputy clerks;

? And cutting all payments to attend conferences for the next two years.

Only five of the 113 positions being cut across the state are now vacant, said Administrative Office of the Courts Director Laurie Dudgeon. Some of the affected people will be offered other vacant positions if they are tenured employees ? or employees that can not be terminated at will, she said.

In Fayette County, the cuts will mean losing at least one of three trial commissioners. The commissioners oversee traffic court and mental competency hearings in district court.

A trial commissioner is typically a lawyer but not an elected judge who oversees court hearings, particularly in areas where there are high case loads. Fayette District Court has the highest case load in the state, court officials said Thursday.

If local officials can make the case that a trial commissioner is needed, that position could be reinstated, Minton said.

Fayette Family Court will also lose its popular drug court program for families and juveniles, a type of diversion program for those with drug addictions or drug problems. There are 20 such programs across the state that will be eliminated come July 1.

It?s not clear how many drug court positions in Fayette County will be cut. Statewide, 28 positions will be eliminated to save a projected $1.5 million.

A larger general drug court program in Fayette County will remain intact.

Minton cautioned on Thursday that more layoffs may follow in coming weeks. The state Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals have been asked to cut about 3 percent of their respective budgets ? $140,500 for the state Supreme Court and $226,400 for the Court of Appeals. Minton said he hoped that those reductions would not result in the loss of any staff but said it was possible.

Minton said court officials have tried to cut in places where the effects will not be as noticeable to the public, but said many will be painful nonetheless.

?We are reducing as much as we can in places where we think we can without impinging on the performance of our constitutional and statutory duty to the people of Kentucky,? Minton said.

Court officials had warned legislators as early as last summer that layoffs in the judicial branch were inevitable without additional money. But lawmakers ? who have yet to pass an executive branch budget ? opted to cut the court system by about 2 percent from the previous year. It?s overall budget for fiscal year 2011 was $290 million, far less than the $315 million the courts had requested.

The shortfall for the two pools of money that the judicial branch uses for its operations is more than $33 million for the upcoming fiscal year. However, the courts were able to use $26 million in one-time money to erase much of that shortfall.

So far, the judicial branch is the only branch of Kentucky government that has been forced to use layoffs to balance its budget. In 2009, the courts eliminated 47 positions, mainly at its central offices in Frankfort. However, about 26 people were re-hired into other positions in the judicial branch.

The bulk of the judiciary?s budget is personnel costs. After the latest rounds of cuts, the courts employ 3,704 workers, compared to 3,978 in December 2007.

?It?s important to note that the (current deficit) would have been more crippling had we not begun aggressively cutting costs as early as 2008,? Minton said. ?We?ve reorganized departments, implemented a hiring freeze, reduced operating costs, abolished positions and some judicial center projects were not completed as quickly as projected.?