Financial outlook dark for Utah courts

Utah's courts this year are handling more felony crimes, more child custody fights and more lawsuits involving contract disputes, debt collection and forfeitures than last year.

But the financial outlook for the courts seems grim unless the system is permitted to hike filing fees to bring in more money.

Daniel Becker, who oversees the Administrative Office of the Courts, said legislators recently solved some short-term financial problems that prevented the courts from having to impose 26 days of unpaid furlough time for employees (except judges) and probably closing state district courthouses one day a week. The courts had been facing a budget cut of approximately $8 million to operate during the next six months until the fiscal year ends June 30, but the Legislature changed that to about $4 million, a cut Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has approved.

This now needs the stamp of approval from Huntsman, who is reviewing it, but a spokeswoman said it is likely Huntsman will sign off on it.

Dealing with a $4 million cut as opposed to one of $8 million is workable, according to Becker.

"We can adjust to the reductions," Becker said. "Our biggest concern is the ongoing reductions proposed for 2010."

The current legislative plan is to slice $17 million from the court budget (about a 15.3 percent reduction) beginning July 1. That may change when revenue projections due later this month come in, however, as legislators would be able to shore up some of the cuts to make them less dramatic.

Still, a 15 percent cut would mean eliminating 283 jobs, or approximately 30 percent of the workforce, Becker said. The courts currently employ about 1,100 people.

It would also mean closing some courthouses.

"We would not be able to support the number of courthouses we have in the state because we wouldn't have enough personnel to man them," Becker said.

Provisions would be made for getting such things as protective orders.

A budget reduction of this size also would mean longer delays for some types of cases and a somewhat grim system of setting priorities.

"We would give priority to criminal cases at the expense of civil and domestic cases," Becker said. "In juvenile court, child welfare would be prioritized over delinquency.