Petition for Divorce| Budget Cuts Slow Court Cases Statewide |
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| Written by Don Plummer |
| Friday, 29 August 2008 00:00 |
 ATLANTA - In response to the budget crises affecting Georgia, the Superior Courts of the state through their statewide organization, the Council of Superior Court Judges, has indefinitely suspended all senior judge use. Although the current fiscal year budget passed in the legislature during the last session and was signed by the Governor into law, recent reduced revenue collections have left the State budget in the red, said Fulton County Superior Court Judge Melvin K. Westmoreland.
Educational seminars for law clerks and judicial secretaries were eliminated and the judges also significantly scaled back their own required judicial training. On a prior occasion, the judges eliminated all funds for equipment from the current fiscal year budget. The inability to call on senior judges will significantly impact the orderly administration of cases statewide, said Westmoreland, who is chair of the Council of Superior Court Judges budget committee and the Council’s president-elect. “It’s unfortunate the State’s mismanagement of funds has brought to a halt the most fiscally responsible way to deal with the shortage of full-time judges available to handle increased civil filings and criminal prosecutions. As a result the county jails will become even more crowded and cases will move slower through the system.” “It’s sad the Executive and Legislative branches of state government have made use of their inability to manage the budget to reduce funds for senior judges and indigent defense, the significant areas of the justice system which they have previously encumbered through legislation” stated Westmoreland. “These current actions will only further reduce the judiciary’s ability to assist the citizens of Georgia because when the economy is down history indicates litigation increases. However, the judges of this state will continue to do everything within our power to serve the interests of the people given the limitations and restrictions placed upon us.” |
| Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 February 2009 17:03 |