Governor Jerry Brown

Since California voters gave the state increased revenues in November, court budget observers have watched eagerly for hints of how the new reality might play out, especially in the wake of already cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from the justice system.

Gov. Brown has been virtually silent on that front, but is signaling that some new proposals, which are expected to surface next week, will seek truly sweeping changes – at least for education. That has no doubt led many to speculate that similar big-picture approaches might be in store for the courts. Certainly some of the same issues are in play, especially the local-vs.-state decision-making powers.

Anthony York of the L.A. Times has a good New Year curtain-raiser story on the budget strategy,  saying the governor “… said he wants more of the state’s dollars to benefit low-income and non-English-speaking students, who typically are more expensive to educate.” [Read more…]

How. Low. Can. We. Go?

It’s no secret that California is cutting back, waaaay back, on its courts funding. This website is part of the reaction.

But a glimpse into the coming months of 2013 comes from a recent Wall Street Journal story.

“The number of locations handling small claims cases,” notes the WSJ, “will shrink from 26 to six, according to the court. Collections will be handled in just two places instead of 24. Under the courtroom reorganization plan, all personal injury cases will be concentrated at a single court downtown.”

Can you imagine? Malibu residents, long accustomed to local access, will have to haul themselves over to the Valley.

[Read more…]