BOOST FOR JUDICIARY BUDGET
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
- Organization: State Bar Office of Governmental Affairs
- Link: http://calbar.ca.gov
Governor Schwarzenegger's 2006-07 budget plan calls a substantial increase in funding for the judicial branch. The Governor's budget proposal, released on January 10, calls for a judiciary budget totaling $3.4 billion, a $139 million increase over the current year. The increase is due to the application of the State Appropriations Limit factor in the formulation of the judicial branch budget. This factor provides an "automatic" formula-based method to determine the appropriate year-to-year adjustments to the budget.
The 2005-06 budget (current year) marks the initial application of the State Appropriations Limit factor to the judiciary budget. Previously, the judiciary was required to submit budget change proposals in order to garner desired increases to fund its activities and programs. Some specifics of the Governor's budget proposal:
- $105 million in additional funding for the state's trial courts
- $18.7 million in new funding for courthouse security (These funds would be used to provide for 97 new screening stations and implement a five-year plan for the replacement of current entry-way screening equipment)
- $12.3 million to fund information technology maintenance and operations for new administrative infrastructure systems to support the trial courts and the Administrative Office of the Courts
- $5.5 million to provide for facilities and staff support for up to 150 new judgeships over a three-year period, beginning in April of 2007 (These funds cannot be expended until the enactment of legislation authorizing the new judgeships and their allocation on a county-by-county basis)
- $1.3 million for the Habeas Corpus Resource Center to enable the center to accept additional Habeas Corpus appointments from the Supreme Court. The center provides legal representation for indigent petitioners in death penalty habeas corpus proceedings before the California Supreme Court or federal court. In addition, the center recruits and trains attorneys in order to facilitate the expansion of the pool of private counsel qualified to accept appointments in death penalty habeas corpus proceedings.
The Governor's budget proposal would also provide funds for the working drawings phase of a new Antioch-area courthouse in Contra Costa County, along with funds for the acquisition and planning phases of a new cross-jurisdictional courthouse facility in the Sierra Valley of Plumas County. The budget also provides funding for the ongoing construction of the new Appeals Court facility in Santa Ana (Orange County).
The 2005-06 budget (current year) marks the initial application of the State Appropriations Limit factor to the judiciary budget. Previously, the judiciary was required to submit budget change proposals in order to garner desired increases to fund its activities and programs. Some specifics of the Governor's budget proposal:
- $105 million in additional funding for the state's trial courts
- $18.7 million in new funding for courthouse security (These funds would be used to provide for 97 new screening stations and implement a five-year plan for the replacement of current entry-way screening equipment)
- $12.3 million to fund information technology maintenance and operations for new administrative infrastructure systems to support the trial courts and the Administrative Office of the Courts
- $5.5 million to provide for facilities and staff support for up to 150 new judgeships over a three-year period, beginning in April of 2007 (These funds cannot be expended until the enactment of legislation authorizing the new judgeships and their allocation on a county-by-county basis)
- $1.3 million for the Habeas Corpus Resource Center to enable the center to accept additional Habeas Corpus appointments from the Supreme Court. The center provides legal representation for indigent petitioners in death penalty habeas corpus proceedings before the California Supreme Court or federal court. In addition, the center recruits and trains attorneys in order to facilitate the expansion of the pool of private counsel qualified to accept appointments in death penalty habeas corpus proceedings.
The Governor's budget proposal would also provide funds for the working drawings phase of a new Antioch-area courthouse in Contra Costa County, along with funds for the acquisition and planning phases of a new cross-jurisdictional courthouse facility in the Sierra Valley of Plumas County. The budget also provides funding for the ongoing construction of the new Appeals Court facility in Santa Ana (Orange County).
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