Save Our Coast Court

OUR DEMOCRACY CANNOT FUNCTION WITHOUT ADEQUATELY FUNDED COURTS

Funds for the judicial system in California have been reduced to the point where our local trial courts cannot properly serve the public. The Governor’s proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2013 lowers even further the amount for our California court system. As now planned, the new state budget only allocates one penny out of every dollar in the State General Fund to the judicial branch, reducing funding over the past five years by $535 million dollars. With these proposed additional reductions, the State General Fund will contribute only 20% of the total funding of all the trial courts statewide.

The cuts in funding have hit Mendocino County hard to the point where last October the eight county judges announced the effective closing of the Fort Bragg branch of the superior court. Fortunately the united and active public response, which included the Fort Bragg City Council, police, sheriff, District Attorney and other public agencies, convinced our judges to rescind their proposed closing of the court. (See articles below.)

However, our judges have been informed that Mendocino County’s court system will face cuts in funding from the State General Fund after July 1st resulting in a $260,000 shortfall. This reduced funding could again place the continuation of our Fort Bragg court, which serves the third of Mendocino County’s population that lives on the coast, in grave danger.

We need a strong message to Governor Brown and North Coast legislators Wes Chesbro and Noreen Evans that funding for our state courts should not be further reduced.

Please take the time to sign and forward the email below. Please add your personal note. We need as much public support as we can gather, so also contact local elected officials as well as spread this message to your friends and neighbors. Only a strong public outcry will secure this necessary funding. Thank you for joining us in this vital effort.

Steve Antler, Barbara Kalina, Jim Luther, Patrick Pekin, Carter Sears
on behalf of Save Our Coast Court

The initial closing of the Coast Court was rescinded due to community action. The court is now threatened by cuts on the state level.

Background information:

• Our list of websites with current court news

• “Judges reverse decision on cutting Coast court services” from the Fort Bragg Advocate-News December 6, 2012
• Letters and editorials in the Fort Bragg Advocate-News, November 21, 2012
• District Attorney and Law Enforcement Chiefs Strongly Oppose Cuts to the Fort Bragg Court
• Fort Bragg City Council’s letter opposing the cuts
• Notice from Ukiah Court Slashing the Fort Bragg Court’s Budget
• “Superior Court Decides not to Reduce Services in Ft. Bragg”

Send your comments

The email message below will go directly to Mendocino County’s elected assembly member and state senator. It will also go to the governor.

subject of your message:   Provide necessary funds for our courts

Base message: Our local courts are an essential part of government. Our democracy is based on a fully functioning, independent judicial branch which is open and accessible to all our people. Right now extreme cuts in court funding have endangered our courts to the point where they cannot respond to the public’s needs. This was made clear in Mendocino County when in order to save money in the court’s budget, our local judges announced the effective closing of the Fort Bragg branch of the superior court in October 2012. Ironically, the overall cost of this action would have cost our community more than three times what the court might have “saved”. The public’s united response showed the judges that the effect of their proposed cuts would have endangered public safety, cost other public agencies more than would have been saved, limited public access for a third of the county’s population and burdened already overcrowded facilities. Our judges listened and rescinded their proposed action. After July 1st our county trial courts are facing further funding cuts, causing a budget deficit of approximately $260,000. These additional reductions will cause extreme difficulties for all county residents, and could destroy access to justice for our most vulnerable citizens. The situation is dire and needs to be corrected. I urge you to act with vigor to restore funds to our state court system and not allow further cuts to our trial courts. Thank you for your consideration and positive action.

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