While the ACJ (Alliance of California Judges) did not comment on the issue of 300 million in diverted construction funds (We assume because that entire amount will be visited upon the AOC’s office of court construction and management in its entirety and not the trial courts) we were leaked the information that includes the comments from both the Los Angeles courts as well as the Sacramento courts.
Since Mary Roberts (general counsel of the AOC) refuses to release all of the other comments under the guise of “deliberative process” we urge all other courts to release their comments to the media. The fact of the matter is that without that material going to the media, these issues are soon to be buried and forgotten by an agency that is doing everything in its power to stifle dissent and cover their tracks.
Help the media help the trial courts.
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ACJ message to members leaked to JCW:
The Alliance of California Judges has learned that the budget expected to be enacted this week will contain the additional $150 million cut as stated in the previously vetoed budget. This will likely be an unallocated reduction, and will be in addition to the unallocated reduction previously adopted in the amount of $200.0 million. This $150.0 million has been previously equated to closing the courts two days per month.
The Alliance will work to ensure that these cuts are not borne disproportionately upon the trial courts. Nevertheless, this news is very grim.
Also, the Los Angeles Superior Court and the Sacramento Superior Court have released to their respective courts copies of their reports made to the Chief Justice in response to her request for a survey of judicial opinion on branch governance. These reports endorse what the Alliance of California Judges has been saying throughout its short existence; branch governance is broken, and the solution is a re-balancing of authority between state and local administration. The Los Angeles Superior Court report refers to this as ‘coordinated decentralization.’ We have attached an article from today’s Metropolitan News dealing with these reports.
The Alliance of California judges endorses these thoughtful reports. We enclose copies for your review.
The Alliance wrote to ask the Chief Justice to release the entire survey results, but we have been advised by Mary Roberts, General Counsel for the Administrative Office of the Courts that the results are being withheld under the ‘deliberative process’ exception to disclosure rules.
Thank you for your continued support.
Directors,
Alliance of California Judges
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Judicial Council Watcher
June 28, 2011
And the chief’s lackluster response?
http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/nr26-11.pdf
Cry me a river. This likely wouldn’t have happened if you demonstrated yourself to be fiscally prudent and not straddled with so many boondoggles you endorsed.
But go ahead, let your SEC committee study the matter and feed recommendations to Huffman’s committee. Let the CJA recommendations go to Huffman’s committee too and while you’re at it, let the PJ’s response s go to Huffman’s committee too. I am sure once all that is done, the AOC will come out smelling like a rose, in need of raises and that you are understaffed.
Michael Paul
June 28, 2011
“In addition to a $350 million dollar cut to the judicial branch, the Governor and the Legislature propose sweeping the judicial branch’s funding for infrastructure projects—projects to build safe and secure courthouses for the public. The money will be placed in the state’s general fund. These cuts are unsustainable and incompatible with equal justice for all. This is a sad day for justice in California.”
Psssst… You might remember me bringing to your attention low hanging fruit equivalent to these construction cuts. If you want the money, go get it from your unlicensed contractors and everyone they paid kickbacks to.
Michael Paul
June 28, 2011
Everywhere I look at where this T C-S press release hit, there is a VERY UNSYMPATHETIC public railing against both CCMS and construction costs. They too suggest you go after your unlicensed contractors for the dough and end ccms.
Maybe you should take the time to review these public comments and realize how much out of touch you are with the citizens of this state.
Michael Paul
June 28, 2011
We have clarified how we came about this. This document was not an ACJ press release but it was leaked to us. We like leaks. Keep them coming!
Judicial Council Watcher
June 28, 2011
Indeed, it was a leak and not a release.
JusticeCalifornia
June 28, 2011
AOC watcher back then, JCW now, thank you for what you have done, and/or do.
Judicial Council Watcher
June 28, 2011
AOC Watcher deserves all the credit. Us?
To give credit where it is due, things changed around here when Michael Paul’s company started giving us more resources than we could manage. We believe that if they would have paid him his salary over the last year, it might have saved them about 300 million dollars.
JusticeCalifornia
June 28, 2011
“us”?
Honey, “us” is what is getting the message out there. 🙂
JusticeCalifornia
June 28, 2011
Ostensible (in name only) “top leadership” of the CA judicial branch is being forced into deconstruction, and that is a very necessary step in moving the branch forward.
sharonkramer
June 28, 2011
Excellent work. Its like a breath of fresh air to see so much of the abuse exposed. Gives me hope that there is still a chance integrity can be reinstilled in Ca’s judicial branch.
Judicial Council Watcher
June 29, 2011
As of 6/29/2011 with the official passage of a budget, Judicial Council Watcher subtracts a billion and is now California’s 9 billion dollar reality check.
Our wasteful spending targets remain the balance of construction funds and CCMS that represents the remaining 9 billion dollars.