e-Discovery Insights

The Bench: A Plea for More Funding for California Courts

The new President of the State Bar of California, John Streeter, and the new Chief Justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, are united in their plea for more funding.

The Bench: Latest on California Budget Cuts

From the LA Times:  "Budget cuts to worsen California court delays, officials say".

Five years to get to trial in San Francisco and other nightmares.  Boy howdy!

The Bench: Goodbye, 4th Amendment...We Hardly Knew Ye...

I shared this article with my Twitter followers, but upon reflection, I wanted you all to see it.  It's penned by the Chief Justice of the Federal Ninth Circuit, Alex Kozinski - and his law clerk (I mention this because you'll see the relevance in the article).  The subject speaks for itself...enjoy the read.

The Bench: The Last Cut is the Deepest

 

What picture did you expect?  I'm in California, after all...

Following a $200 million cut in the California State Court system, another $150 million cut is proposed by Governor Brown's office.  If you're interested in the details - and what the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court has to say...

The Bench: Lightning Strikes

In an attempt to unclog the logjam of pending cases, Los Angeles County has implemented an expedited-jury-trial option.  It came into being at the start of 2011.  The goal is to complete a trial - that encompasses relatively non-complex issues - in about a day.

That's the key.  The moment things get messy, it's not going to work.  But that's not the point, is it?  For a lot of cases, it will work, and anything that speeds up the wheels of justice - so long as equity is maintained - is a good thing.

The Bench: Oil Changes, Gonzales & Criminal Trials

What do these three things have in common?  They're all expected to be speedy.  However, only one of them is a right guaranteed under the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  Now, due to a shortage of judges in Riverside County, California, 18 criminal cases have been dismissed, with 300 more in the pipeline that were on appeal.  The California Supreme Court upheld the dismissals.

It would be intellectually dishonest to blame this solely on the budget crisis.  I attended a judges symposium about three weeks ago at which Riverside County's issues, among others, were discussed; and they aren't all monetary.

Andele!

The Bench: CA Judicial Council Rejects Plea for $47M

This decision foretells more trouble ahead for the Los Angeles Superior Court...

The Bench: CA Superior Court Lays Off 329

I'm starting a new feature called "The Bench".  In keeping with the California-based theme of my blog, I want to update you on notable events occurring within the Superior Court system.  I'll also keep an eye on the Federal District Court.

I recently attended a symposium in which some judges offered a very bleak outlook for the courts in the near-term.  We were informed of the impending first round of cost-cutting measures that I cited in the headline, and as the article mentions, this is just the beginning.

According to additional information I've received, it's estimated that the cuts will ultimately grow to 1,800 - and at an estimated ten employees needed to support each courtroom, that means eventually 180 courtrooms could be shuttered.  Maybe I should say 'shuddered', because that's how several of the attendees reacted as they exited the symposium.

The judges estimated that, by the time all of the cuts are made, civil litigation may take up to four years or more to reach trial.  That's a sobering statistic; especially since the Rules of Civil Procedure don't allow for indefinite delays.  And it's a non-starter in criminal cases (defendants have a constitutional right to a speedy trial).

In four years, I'd expect the litigants to forget what the original dispute was about!