"Courtmaggedon" in California Stalls Most Civil Cases
By Lauren Forbes
California’s dire budget situation almost seems apocalyptic insofar as what’s happening. The Bay Citizen reports that as of October 3rd, the San Francisco Superior Court will close will 25 of its 63 courtrooms, all in the civil division. No criminal courtrooms will be shuttered.
“We’re broke,” Presiding Judge Katherine Feinstein told reporters, “and we’re left with one painful option for all practical purposes: to dismantle our court.”The cuts are the result of a state budget that eliminated $350 million in operating costs from courts throughout California, leaving the San Francisco Superior Court with a $13.75 million deficit.
While individuals will still be able to file lawsuits, it will take five years before most cases move beyond filing. Feinstein said it will take 18 months to obtain a divorce or settle a child custody dispute. Only eviction cases and those facing dismissal because they run up against statutory time limits will proceed to trial, she said.
As one might imagine, this will have a tremendous impact on individuals’ access to justice, and those who are low-income are likely to bear the biggest brunt of this closure. “There is going to be tremendous suffering on a whole range of issues touching on all aspects of human behavior,” Peter Keane, dean emeritus at the Golden Gate University School of Law, said in an interview.
“People won’t be able to get their disputes resolved. People injured in accidents won’t be able to get their medical bills paid for, and if people can’t get their medical bills paid, they’ll be on the street. It has a terrible ripple effect particularly for people who are on the edge in this economy,” Hebert said.
