I saw Instapundit linked to this story of the Pennsylvania Public Defenders objecting to their caseload.
Guess what's coming soon to L.A.:
The Los Angeles County court system began handing out layoff notices Friday as plunging budgets set in motion major reductions.
Officials said the cutbacks in the court system will affect 431 employees and 56 courtrooms in a county that's home to nearly 10 million people.…..
The layoffs and pay cuts are Los Angeles' answer to the statewide budget crisis that has lawmakers in Sacramento debating how to reduce a $16 billion deficit. Other counties are making cuts but their numbers are dwarfed by Los Angeles County with its 4,700 employees and its need to absorb $100 million in funding cuts. Edmon said 70 million in cuts were made earlier and the new cutbacks will amount to $30 million in savings.
Each county is handling its court funding cuts differently.
In Fresno County, seven branch courthouses in outlying areas are being closed. Residents in those rural areas will have to travel longer distances to file lawsuits.
In Ventura County, as in Los Angeles County, the services of court reporters are being eliminated for civil trials. Litigants will have to hire their own court stenographers and in some cases judges are being told they may have to take notes on their own cases rather than rely on a printed record.….
The executive officer and clerk of the court, John A. Clarke, suggested the court is being swept up in "catastrophic changes" at the state level.
"The commitment of our judicial officers and staff to preserve access to justice is unwavering," he said. "But our ability to follow through on that commitment may soon be exhausted."
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