Thursday, October 8, 2009

So far this year, the state court system’s $15.9 million budget shortfall has prompted judges from 18 counties to limit the hours of public access to the office of the clerk of district court, it was announced in Topeka today.

The 18 counties are in addition to 15 counties that previously were granted Supreme Court permission to close early because of chronic understaffing. During the closed hours, clerk’s office employees focus on filing papers and making computer data entries for case events and actions.

The shortened hours of public access have been implemented to make up for the elimination of all funding for part-time temporary employees and vacancies left by a statewide hiring freeze.

“There just aren’t enough personnel to keep up with the motions and other paper and computer entries that are attendant to approximately 500,000 cases being filed in the district courts annually,” Chief Justice Robert E. Davis said.

“With the hiring freeze and elimination of all part-time temporary employees, many in the courts are doing their own work plus that of one or two of their colleagues who have left the court, or who are on extended leaves of absence,” the chief justice reported.

Wednesday, Nancy Parrish, Chief Judge of Shawnee County District Court, announced that the clerks’ offices for that court will close to the public at 4 p.m. beginning November 1. Shawnee County is the first of the state’s four urban judicial districts to shorten public access hours, with the exception of certain clerks’ offices in Sedgwick County that close early to all but those who must meet financial obligations.

Approximately 40 counties in Kansas have two or fewer employees in the clerk’s office when fully staffed.

“Because 98% of the Kansas Judicial Branch budget goes to pay employee salaries, the current reduction in this fiscal year’s basic maintenance budget has led to a crisis that may be unparalleled in Kansas court system history,” Chief Justice Davis said.

Employee salaries are paid by the state general fund, with operations and the other expenses of courthouse offices being the responsibility of county commissions.

All told, the Judicial Branch basic maintenance budget was reduced $15.9 million by the Legislature for the 2010 fiscal year that began July 1. This deficit can only be partially made up by the Legislature’s authorization of an increase of $10 per case filing, as well as an $830,000 federal stimulus grant. Other measures, such as the hiring freeze, eliminating use of retired judges to help with caseloads, and abolishing temporary employee hours will save an additional estimated $2.1. But all of these measures will still leave the court system short an estimated $8 million for the current fiscal year, unless emergency supplemental funding is provided by the 2010 Legislature, something the governor and key legislators have said they support. The Supreme Court is preparing a contingency plan to close all courthouses in the state for up to four weeks if that becomes necessary.

Following is a list of district courts that have limited public access and the hours they are currently open:

COUNTY PUBLIC HOURS
Jackson 8:00-4:00
Jefferson 8:00-4:00
Pottawatomie 8:00-4:00
Wabaunsee 8:00-4:00
Shawnee 8:00-4:00
Anderson 8:00-4:00
Coffey 8:00-4:00
Franklin 8:00-4:00
Osage 8:00-4:00
Chase 8:00-5:00
Lyon 8:00-4:00
Bourbon 8:00-4:00
Linn 8:00-3:30
Miami 8:00-3:30
Douglas 8:00-4:00
Geary 9:00-4:00
Harvey 9:00-5:00
McPherson 9:00-5:00
Cherokee 8:00-4:00
Crawford (Pittsburg) 8:00-4:00
Labette (Parsons) 8:00-4:00
Chautauqua 8:00-4:00
Montgomery 8:00-4:00
Ford 8:00-4:00
Cowley (Winfield) 8:00-4:00
Clay 9:00-4:00
Riley 9:00-4:00
Ellis 8:00-4:00
Finney 8:00-4:00
Reno 8:00-4:00
Saline 8:30-4:00
Sumner 8:00-4:00
Neosho (Erie) 8:00-4:30
Wilson 8:00-4:00