Top judge seeks more funding for state courts
In her speech to lawmakers, she emphasizes ways the judiciary can save.
SACRAMENTO — California’s court system was battered by funding cuts during the recession, but it has also faced stinging criticism from lawmakers and auditors for failing to crack down on loose spending.
So when Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye spoke to the Legislature on Monday, she was careful to emphasize all the ways the judiciary is trying to do more with less.
Instead of issuing a blanket call for additional money, she said the courts “must accelerate our search for innovations and efficiencies.”
She talked about finding ways to reduce judicial staff, rein in the cost of constructing new facilities and spread funding more evenly among the state’s trial courts.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Cantil-Sakauye didn’t urge lawmakers to include more cash in the state budget. She bemoaned the effects of reduced hours, furloughed workers and closed courtrooms.
Even though some money has returned to the judiciary as the state’s budget has bounced back, “it’s not enough,” she said.
Courts would receive a $182-million funding increase under Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest budget proposal. Lawmakers will debate the spending plan for the next few months, and the next budget is scheduled to take effect July 1.
Cantil-Sakauye did not ask for a particular dollar figure in her speech. She used harsher language last year when discussing budget issues, calling it a “civil rights crisis” that was imperiling access to justice for Californians.
Allegations of waste within the court system have often complicated its pursuit of more funding.
In January, a state audit identified $30 million in questionable spending over four years, including high salaries for some administrators and dozens of official vehicles that may not be necessary.