The Superior Court of California, Solano County will curtail its operations on three post-holiday days, Brian K. Taylor, court executive officer, said.
The limited operations are caused by budgetary shortfalls, Taylor said.
“The court finds it necessary to institute these changes in light of the state budget crises, which resulted in five years of budget cuts to the judicial branch,” he said.
He acknowledged that Gov. Jerry Brown has approved additional funding for that branch during the current fiscal year.
However, it wasn’t enough, he said.
“The amount falls $136.9 million short of what Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye estimated the branch needed to maintain operations and to ‘tread water’ for this fiscal year,” Taylor said.
“Despite instituting various cost-saving measures, such as freezing vacancies for five years, prior furloughs, implementation of an early retirement plan, implementation of electronic reporting for misdemeanors and re-engineering court processes for efficiencies, the court still faces a projected deficit of $830,000 for the current fiscal year, and must take additional measures to balance the budget.”
The limited operations will take place Nov. 26, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, 2015.
On those, all clerk’s offices and all but two courtrooms will be closed, Taylor said.
The two courtrooms will be open in the Hall of Justice, 600 Union Ave., Fairfield, to conduct arraignments and examinations as required by law, to sign any necessary documents on an emergency basis, and to handle time-sensitive juvenile matters, he said.
Drop boxes will be available at the Hall of Justice and at the Solano Justice Center, 321 Tuolumne St., Vallejo, for same-day filing of documents deposited there before 4 p.m., Taylor said.
Those wanting to comment on the limited operations may write Taylor at 600 Union Ave., Fairfield, CA 94533.
Leave a Reply