SDCBA asks San Diego attorneys to write to legislators to protest budget cuts

In response to the nearly 1.2 billion dollars of funding cuts to the California Judicial Branch over the last five years, San Diego County Bar Association President Marcella McLaughlin has called on San Diego attorneys to write to their legislators to prevent further cuts and restore funding to the courts, according to a report by BLAWGSD on May 24, 2013. A copy of the suggested letter is below and can be found online here:

 

Honorable __________

Member of the California Legislature

State Capitol

Sacramento, CA  95814

Dear Assemblymember/Senator:

As a constituent and an attorney I am gravely concerned about the massive underfunding our judicial system has experienced over the last five years.  While I understand our entire state has been reeling from the impact of the recession, our courts have taken a disproportionate share of the budget cuts.  The result has been a deconstruction of our justice system impacting access to justice for our citizens.

Courts throughout the state have closed their doors.  From Fresno to San Bernardino whole courthouses have been shuttered requiring litigants to travel, in some cases, well over an hour, to pay a simple traffic ticket.  More significantly public safety is at great risk as staff layoffs have occurred, hours of service have been reduced and thousands of cases are placed into fewer courts

The time is now to reinvest in courts.  Democracy stands in the balance.