ORDEAL IN THE COURTS: Struggling To Do More With Less

BY RUTH RUSSELL/ Funding for the courts not corruption was the theme of the talk given by Chief Justice Ron Castille to an overflow crowd of judges in Hershey.
The occasion was the official opening session of the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges. Nearly 300 jurists from across the Commonwealth gathered for three days of educational programs.
Castille alluded to the judicial scandal in Luzerne Co., lamented the improper behavior of some constables across the state, and stressed the need to do away with the elected office of Clerk of Quarter Sessions Court in Philadelphia.
He said nothing about this city’s Family Court building controversy, which has recently been dominating the news, but concentrated his firepower on the tide of red ink still threatening to engulf the Pennsylvania court system.
The deficit for 2009-2010 was $19 million equivalent to the salaries and benefits for 75 Common Pleas Court judges and 105 magisterial/district judges. By dint of great effort, $10 million in internal savings was achieved, according to Castille.
However, this is just a drop in the bucket as the 2010-2011 budget will have a $25 to $35 million deficit, and the challenge will be ‘to balance the budget and deliver justice to the people of Pennsylvania,’ he emphasized.
This will not be an easy job. Cutbacks, layoffs and judicial district mergers lie ahead. There is already a moratorium on filling vacancies for judges (currently there are 29 in Common Pleas and Magisterial/District Courts) but it has saved about $3 million.
“We have started looking at our magistrates and at combining districts to reduce the number of justices needed in them. We are looking at ways to absorb employees of the Prothonotary’s and the Clerk’s offices. There are approximately 183 positions now under review,” Castille continued.
On the brighter side, the judiciary’s work has resulted in a reduction of 4,500 children in foster care since 2006. In addition, if you want to become a foster parent, make sure that you follow some of the basic requirements that must be met in order to be considered to become eligible for a Foster Parent Training program. Moving them into permanent homes has resulted in a gross cost savings of $225 million, according to the Chief.
Problem-solving courts, such as the recently established one for veterans, are a bit costly to set up. There are approximately 79 in 60 judicial districts as of June 2010. However, Castille estimated that for every $1 spent in these courts, $4.78 was saved.
Meanwhile, the work of the State courts goes on.
The Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is working on a Code of Ethics, dealing with confidentiality and conflict of interest, for state judicial employees. The American Bar Association judicial code of conduct is being reviewed as well as the handbook for constables.
An Elder Task Force has been set up to deal with the problems of senior citizens who are often taken advantage of. This is important because the number of seniors here is growing. “Pennsylvania has the largest elderly population of any state in the nation except Florida and California,” Castille said.
Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery is doing a comprehensive review of courts, primarily of Municipal Court in Philadelphia, while Justice Max Baer is working in Allegheny Co. to improve the handling of children and youth in the court system. About 4,000 juvenile records were expunged in Luzerne Co. after the recent judicial mishandling.
Castille concluded his remarks by praising the judges for their dedicated service and stressing the need to work more efficiently to provide justice for the people of Pennsylvania. He said he would go hat in hand to anyone who would help solve the current financial dilemma.