Judicial Branch JBC Briefing

Decision Items

Budget and Staff Cuts

The Judicial Dept. has a plan to cut 5% from it's budget and 7.5% of it's staff in FY 2010-11:

• Trial Courts: $7,407,811 and 154.0 FTE
• Probation: $6,942,701 and 94.0 FTE
• Supreme Court and Court of Appeals: $682,031 and 10.0 FTE
• Integrated Information Services: $536,214 and 5.0 FTE
• Courts Administration: $317,206 and 3.0 FTE
• Health, Life and Dental benefits: $1,469,600

Delay New Judges

HB 07-1054 created a number of new trial court judgeships around the state. The final 15 new judges were supposed to start this year FY 2009-10. Judicial delayed them until this year and is now proposing another delay. It wants to fill 14 of the judgeships on January 1, 2011 and the 15^th on July 1, 2011.

Courthouse Security Grants

The Department wants to spend an additional $675,000 from the Court Security Cash Fund on court security grants to counties.

Public Defender Cut

The Public Defender wants to make some one-time cuts to its budget:

• waiting four months to hire 40.1 FTE (needed to handle additional cases from the 28 new judges added in (FY 2007-08 and FY 2008-09)
• delay hiring 34.5 FTE that would match 15 new judges this year (Judicial is delaying the 15 new judges)
• cut operating expenses ($241,319)
• cut automation plan ($221,433)
• cut mandated costs ($182,672)
• cut capital outlay ($176,732)