Funding the Courts

1

• Funding the Courts --
• A Critical Balance

2
The Courts Must Be Spared from Further Budget
Cuts.

• Why?
• Adequate funding ensures effective administration
  of justice
• Many Missourians impacted by Courts
• Maintain independent, co-equal branch of
  government

3
Many Missourians are Impacted by the Courts

• 2004 Cases
• 876,000 Cases
• 5,672,000 population
• 15.4 of population
• PLUS

4
Many Other Missourians are Impacted

• Crime victims
• Crime victims families
• Multiple parties
• Families of parties children in divorce
• Employees of businesses
• Estimate of 33 to 50 of Missourians impacted by
  courts

5
Role of the Courts

• Often decide issues that Are
• -- Very important
• -- Critical
• -- Life Death

6
Recent Budget History

• 10 percent decrease since 2001 --10 million
• In 1985 the judiciary accounted for 2.09 of the
  total state budget.
• This year, it has dropped to 1.68

7
Where Would Cuts Come From?

• positions of employees in circuit courts
• reduction of education budgets
• reduction in court automation

8
Court Automation

• Revenue Enhancement
• Collecting Unpaid Fines Costs
• Public Safety
• Adult Abuse Order
• DWI
• Only 28 of 45 Circuits Have it.

9
Are the Courts Efficient?

• The caseload has increased more than 35 percent
  over the past 20 years.
• Excluding traffic ticket cases 59 increase
• However, the courts budget as a percent of the
  total state budget has declined to 1.68 percent

10
Cases are Being Resolved Efficiently

• Time Standards
• Civil 78 18 months
• Felonies 82 8 months
• Domestic 85 8 months

11
Cases are Being Resolved Efficiently

• Transfer of Judges
• 45 judicial circuits
• Varying demands on each circuit
• Relocating judges to level the demand
• In FY 04 2,115 judge transfers.

12
Analysis of Courts Budget

• 91 of the courts budget is for personnel
• Of 3,207 total positions,
• 2,551 are not created by statute
• Supreme Court Staff 67
• Appellate Court Staff 127
• OSCA Staff 71
• Court Automation Staff 66
• Local Court Staff 1,713
• Juvenile Staff 504
• Other 3

13
Analysis of the Courts Budget Nearly 45
percent of the courts budget is reserved for
statutory positions
14
Missouri Courts Economic Impact

• General Revenue of 137 million is allocated to
  the courts.
• 387 million is collected by the courts
• All but 4.5 million leaves the court system
• Traffic fines go toward school funding.

15
Impact in Other States

• Court Closings
• Reduced Hours of Courts
• Non-violent Misdemeanors Not Prosecuted
• Justice Delayed or Denied

16
Impact of Further Cuts in Missouri-- The
Average Salary of Court Employees is 24,000

• These are the non-statutory positions in clerks
  offices and juvenile offices that budget cuts
  would affect the most.

17
Impact of Further Cuts in Missouri

• Cuts would be felt locally across Missouri
• Because 79 of Budget, Circuit Court hit hardest
• Reduction in Fines thus school funding
• Reduction in Services
• Justice at least delayed, possibly denied