Legal News

Los Angeles to close courtrooms every third Wednesday

By Richard Binder

Leaders of the Los Angeles and Mendocino, Calif., superior courts decided they could no longer wait for a coordinated, statewide closure plan to emerge from the mire of legislative budget negotiations. Instead, they'll shutter hundreds of courtrooms today, keeping a relative few open to handle emergency business.

Los Angeles County Superior Court officials expected to have just 43 of 600 courtrooms open countywide to process restraining orders, in-custody arraignments, juvenile dependency cases and other time-sensitive matters.

The Los Angeles court will continue to close courtrooms on the third Wednesday of each month, a move aimed at saving $18 million over the next fiscal year. The judicial branch as a whole is expected to save $102 million through monthly closures in all 58 counties, but that estimate relied on a July 15 start date. With no budget action by the Legislature, however, judicial leaders now hope statewide court closures can begin on Aug. 19.

Full story here.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on July 15, 2009 (boomark / email).