City Council
MEETING DATE: 3/9/2016
TITLE:
Title
Resolution Urging Reallocation of Judicial Resources for All Californians
End
FROM:
Charlie McClendon, City Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution supporting the reallocation of judicial resources to meet the need for additional judges in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
Body
BACKGROUND:
One of the highest priorities for Inland Empire courts has been to increase the number of judges. According to the Judicial Council's 2014 update of the Judicial Needs Assessment, San Bernardino Superior Court has a verified need for 143 judges but only has 86, a need of 57. The same holds true for Riverside Superior Court with a verified need for 127 judges but a current complement of only 76, a deficit of 51. These two counties alone rank first and second respectively in terms of judicial need throughout the state. This fact, against the backdrop of a population that has grown by 37 percent over the last 15 years, results in severe delays and a lack of access to justice for the citizens of these counties.
The CVAG Executive committee acted on February 29, 2016 to adopt a model resolution supporting a reallocation of judicial resources and asked member cities to consider doing the same.
DISCUSSION:
Senate Bill (SB) 229, introduced by Senator Richard Roth, was the latest in a series of bills to fund new judgeships in California. This bill would have appropriated $5 million from the General Fund for the purpose of funding 12 superior court judge positions currently authorized by the Legislature but never funded. San Bernardino probably would have received four judgeships through this bill and Riverside probably would have received three.
The bill passed both houses of the Legislature without a dissenting vote; however the Governor vetoed the bill on October 8th. The Governor wrote, "I am aware that the need for judges in many courts is acute - River...
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