Additional Judicial Branch layoffs expected Thursday

The judicial branch, facing massive funding reductions under Gov. Dannel Malloy’s proposed budget, has announced it would issue pink slips Thursday to 110 employees and is working on plans to close and consolidate courthouses.

Chief Court Administrator Patrick L. Carroll III sent a letter to all employees of the branch Tuesday indicating the branch is finalizing an initial list of 110 employees who will receive notices Thursday that they will be laid off effective June 23, 2016.

The branch has not revealed which departments would be affected, but has told employees that no one would be escorted from their workplace.

“We are not taking this action lightly or with disregard for the impact on each and every person who will receive a notice,” Carroll wrote.

“We recognize that these actions will significantly impact the lives and families of the 110 employees who will receive notices and also recognize the hardship that has already been created to 126 employees who received layoff notices on April 15, effective at the close of business on June 23, 2016,” he wrote.

The Judicial Branch employs about 3,700 full- time workers in 70 locations, including 43 courthouses.

The branch’s total employee count, including judges and part- time employees, is approximately 4,200.

Malloy’s latest midterm budget proposal recommends that the Judicial Branch’s $577 million budget for the 2017 fiscal year, which begins July 1, be reduced by $79 million.

Under the proposal, $ 57 million is required to come from employees, and Carroll indicated Monday in a letter to Malloy and legislative leaders that the 14.8 percent reduction would have “unprecedented and catastrophic consequences” and could result in as many as 600 additional layoffs.

The branch last month issued layoff notices to 126 people, including a class of 48 Judicial Marshal trainees who had not yet been assigned to courthouses, 23 judicial security officers at noncourt locations and 55 workers at juvenile detention centers in Hartford and Bridgeport.

Carroll’s letter to employees Monday indicated the branch cannot be certain which budget ultimately will be adopted as the executive branch and General Assembly continue to exchange budget proposals.

“Nevertheless, we must prepare for a worst case scenario, and recognize that even under the best circumstances additional layoffs and courthouses closings appear unavoidable,” Carroll wrote.

“We had hoped to limit these actions based upon lesser cuts that have been proposed to the Branch, but we must begin to initiate plans for widespread courthouse closings and consolidations,” he said in the letter.