Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed revised budget is essential to help the Superior Court of Los Angeles County maintain its current service levels and provide some one-time relief to address the COVID backlog, according to Los Angeles Superior Court officials. Some $1 billion in funds was allocated to the judicial branch on May 18. That's in addition to $381.1 million already allotted, according to media reports, and the infusion of cash will cover the $200 million Gov. Newsom cut in 2020's budget.
“In January, the Governor’s proposed budget also included restricted funding plans for other program investments in court operations,” said Ann E. Donlan, communications director for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. “We await further clarification from the Judicial Council as to the details of those program funding proposals.”
The May revision proposes to restore $177 million of trial court reductions made in the current year and to increase trial court funding by $72 million to cover increased costs of doing business.
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County Chief Judge Eric C. Taylor is particularly pleased with an allotted $30 million for temporarily assigned judges initiated by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye.
“The additional funding for the Chief Justice’s Temporary Assigned Judges Program will provide much-needed judicial resources to assist the Court in its pandemic recovery efforts,” Judge Taylor told the Southern California Record. “We applaud the Chief for recognizing the need for assistance in the trial courts, and for thoughtfully addressing it.”
As previously reported, the Temporary Assigned Judges Program aims to lower a backlog of criminal cases by making available temporary judges to preside over trials and readiness conferences.
Some $140 million will extend to pretrial pilot programs, including a bail reform initiative approved by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors called the Pretrial Risk Assessment Pilot in which a unit of magistrates consisting of multiple judges are assigned each day to address pretrial release decisions and other duties.
“We look forward to exploring how additional and permanent funding for these programs will benefit the Court’s current pilot program,” Donlan told the Southern California Record
More than $900 million is earmarked to support the security costs for a new courthouse scheduled to open in Shasta County next year, which Donlan said will not directly benefit the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Another $158 million will be spent on court maintenance projects.
“The Governor’s May Revision includes funding for deferred maintenance, which will assist our Court in addressing a number of pressing repairs in our 37 courthouses,” Donlan said.
Some $60 million in funding is set aside for pandemic-related expenses, which Donlan says the Superior Court of Los Angeles County will use to further its safe, gradual expansion of criminal and civil jury trials.
“The restoration of $200 million in cuts to the judicial branch in the fiscal year 2020/2021 will assist the Court in addressing this need and to recover from the impact of current budget cuts,” she said.
The updated budget now goes to the California Legislature, which is expected to approve the budget proposal by June 15.
“Our Court is confident that the Legislature and the governor will reach an agreement on a budget that makes needed and appropriate investments in the judicial branch by the June 15 deadline,” Judge Taylor said.