Council Allocates Trial Court Funding from State Budget

SAN FRANCISCO—The Judicial Council at its July 15 meeting agreed to allocate funding to the trial courts included in the most recent state budget signed by Gov. Newsom last week. The allocations will be made using an established formula based on court workload.

“This year's budget is the largest amount of sustained, ongoing funding in judicial branch history,” said Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye. “The funds the Governor and the Legislature have so generously supplied to the courts will help us deliver vital services to the people of California.”

The funding included for fiscal year 2022–23 will go toward increasing trial court funding equity, 23 new judgeships, and court construction and maintenance, as well as backfill money related to reductions in fine and fees revenues. Watch

Other actions taken at the July 15 council meeting include:

Budget Change Proposals: The council approved funding requests for fiscal year 2023–24 that seek additional resources for collaborative justice programs, self-help centers, language access, and courthouse construction and maintenance. Watch

Plan for Building New Courthouses: The council approved a five-year plan for new courthouse construction that forms the basis for funding requests for those projects.

Court Backlog Assistance Program: The Chief Justice announced a new program that provides more flexibility to courts using temporary assigned judges to ease backlogs in both civil and criminal cases by suspending certain current service limitations for those judges.

New and Departing Council Members
The Chief Justice welcomed the recently appointed council members attending the meeting who officially start their terms on Sept. 15. She also acknowledged the four council members attending their last business meeting, as their terms conclude on Sept. 14. Those departing council members include Judge Rupert A. Byrdsong, Judge Dalila C. Lyons, Judge Theodore C. Zayner, and Court Executive Officer Kevin Harrigan.The Chief Justice thanked them for their expertise, dedication, and service to the council and state judicial branch.

The complete meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center. An archived webcast of the entire meeting broken out by topic will be added to the center as soon as it is available.