California cuts to court budgets have led to staff shortages, case delays, garage sales, and long lines

"California has cut so much money from the courts budget that some people may be discouraged from using the system, according to the state’s chief justice.
Annual case filings in the state have dropped by about 2.5 million in the last few years, says California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
“I don't believe we are becoming a more law-abiding, rule-following society," she said. "But we have closed more than 50 courthouses and eliminated 3,900 full-time positions. So are people finally getting the message they shouldn't bother to come to court?"
One extreme embarrassment, according to Cantil-Sakauye, was when the Kings County Superior Court held a garage sale to raise money. . . [T]he courts need an additional $266 million in the coming fiscal year "just to tread water" and an extra $612 million to be fully functional." More.

Originally posted by Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Journal Law News, May 13, 2014 9:03 AM CDT

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