Civil Justice System in San Francisco Is Collapsing Due to Budget Cuts, Judge Warns
State budget cuts are forcing San Francisco courts to lay off more than 40 percent of their employees, resulting in long delays for civil litigants, according to the state’s presiding judge.
“The civil justice system in San Francisco is collapsing,” Presiding Judge Katherine Feinstein said on Monday. Her press conference was covered by the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Appeal, the Associated Press and the Recorder.
The court will lay off about 200 of its 480 workers and close 25 out of 63 courtrooms, including courts used for complex business litigation. San Francisco courts acted due to a $13.75 million deficit in an $88 million budget.
Courts across the state are facing budget cuts of $350 million in operations and $310 million in courthouse construction budgets, the Chronicle says.
