Utah Budget Crisis Update: Court Budget Cuts
Utah State Bar President Nathan D. Alder, reported today via email:
The State Court has received an 8.5% total cut for FY’09. This is dramatic and very concerning. Proposals are being floated for an additional 11% to 19% cut for FY’10 which will only further erode our Court system. I am deeply worried about this situation. We can already see consequences from changes to our Court system; we must soon reverse these negative effects. Utah can ill-afford to let our system of justice slip any number of notches below what our Constitution and democratic society requires and so rightly deserves. I encourage you to read Chief Justice Durham’s State of the Judiciary Address which was emailed to all Bar members and has been posted at www.utahbar.org. I encourage you to discuss these concerns with Legislators and other elected officials, decision makers, colleagues, neighbors and friends. We are advocates for the Courts and must now step up to protect our judicial system from further insufficient funding scenarios.
The net effect of the size of budget cuts imposed and proposed for next year likely mean a longer wait for trials or decisions by courts, longer wait times in adult and juvenile criminal cases, furloughed court employees (at least temporarily), higher filing fees, fewer court hours or days, closure of some courthouses, no new judges to replace openings, longer lag time between filing and report on the docket, and fewer staff at the courts. Not a happy prospect.
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