Posted on 04/17/2012 5:38:39 PM PDT by Beaten Valve
Budget cuts are set to force the Los Angeles County court system to close 56 courtrooms, including that of its most famous adjudicator, Judge Lance Ito.
The courtroom controlled by the man who presided over O.J. Simpson’s 1995 murder trial will be shut down by June 30, the Associated Press reported. Ito will be reassigned to fill in on cases in which no judge is available, AP said. His courtroom is one of many across the nation's largest trial court system that will go dark.
The county courts will also lay off 350 workers, reduce use of court reporters and eliminate Informal Juvenile Traffic Courts.
Presiding Judge Lee Smalley Edmon called the cuts “extraordinary actions.”
“We are already rationing justice,” she said in a press release.
State budget cuts have meant a $562 million reduction in spending for California’s courts, the county press release said.
The county court system has cut $70 million, and now must slash $30 million more. In the last two years, it has laid off 329 workers and not filled another 229 court positions.
“Staffing reductions due to budget cuts over the past 10 years have forced our court to reduce staffing by 24 percent, while case filings continue to increase,” Edmon said. “This has created incredible pressures on our court to keep up with our work. We cannot endure these pressures for much longer.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nbclosangeles.com ...
I went to an LA County Courthouse today to contest a parking ticket that I received 2-months ago, and they told me that it hasn't been entered into their system yet.
They said that they have up to 1-year to notify me on whether I’ll have to appear on it.
With budget cuts like these, I don't expect that I'll ever have to worry about it....
pay the ticket ,they need the money
” Ito will be reassigned to fill in on cases in which no judge is available “
This is proper......Ito is no judge.
Keep dreaming dude you are talking like an Obama voter.... they want your money and will get it unless you remain on top of the situation. Monitor that ticket or they will tack on fines and surcharges because they are computerized thus can move faster than you and have the LAW backing them up to extract infinite $$$$ from yoo
Always trying to look on the bright side. Maybe "law enforcement officers" will eventually get back to being "peace officers", but I won't hold my breath.
I’m enjoying a similar kind of schadenfreude. Unlike you, I live in a mountaintop little town in the southern Rockies. It’s easy for me. All of my family and old friends live pretty close to you. So, while I’ll be watching as the zombies get theirs, I’ll be knowing that those close to me will probably be paying hell.
Still, 56 courtrooms closed? It’s a start.
Don’t worry, I am one of *those guys*, who monitors everything and contests all parking & traffic tickets.
Most of the time, the Officer never shows and the ticket is dismissed.
It’s been “forever” since I last paid a fine...
“We are already rationing justice,” she said in a press release.
No s*#@ Sherlock, I haven't seen justice from a Californicate court since 1968.
Kalifornikia kolapses.
*those guys* Dude I am one of them too. I have always contested traffic (on days off) an parking tickets and they got nearly zero out of me.
They are cutting 56 courts in the county? In my county I believe we have 4 including the superior court. Boggles my mind.
There may be a rose garden at the end of this. It’s about time that the “Powers that be” realize that regulating and passing more and more unenforceable laws leads to ignoring and defying ALL of the law and thus cheapening our civilization.
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