"Just as Los Angeles County residents are struggling to keep pace with rising gas and grocery prices, the Court finds itself in a similar bind – our operational costs continue to outpace our budget resources."

 

(LA Superior Court website)

The Superior Court of Los Angeles County giving eligible court employees the option to voluntarily under budget strains is yet another example of fat cat California politicians who are anti public safety. 

Los Angeles Superior Court issued a press release yesterday.

"The Superior Court of Los Angeles County and Executive Officer/Clerk of Court David W. Slayton today announced the launch of a Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP), giving eligible court employees the option to voluntarily leave court service as part of the Court’s effort to reduce staff positions and lower ongoing operating expenses amid sustained budget pressures.

“Just as Los Angeles County residents are struggling to keep pace with rising gas and grocery prices, the Court finds itself in a similar bind – our operational costs continue to outpace our budget resources,” Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II said. “We are grateful to our partners in the executive and legislative branches, but the reality is that funding has not kept pace, and the Court must responsibly weather this budget storm through difficult decisions like the VSIP, steps that will likely affect the services we provide to the public. Courts are a foundational pillar of our democracy, and it is essential that they be properly and sustainably funded so that all Californians can continue to rely on timely, fair access to justice.”

Although the Court, funded primarily by the state, received partial inflationary funding in this year’s state budget, the amount falls short of keeping pace with actual rising costs. This fiscal year, the Court's projected cost increases, including rising vendor costs, county-provided services, custodial operational expenses, and negotiated employee salary increases, will exceed that additional inflationary funding by approximately $9.1 million. This is not a one-year problem. Since FY 2020-21, the inflationary funding for the Court has fallen short of the state Department of Finance’s calculated inflationary need by 13.1% cumulatively, or roughly $88 million.

The challenge compounds from there. Relative to the funding needed to process the 1.3 million filings it receives annually, as calculated by the Judicial Council of California, the Court is underfunded by $233.7 million. Under the current state budget, the Court’s funding now stands at 76.77% of calculated need, the lowest level since 2021, and the largest raw shortfall since at least 2013. This gap represents funding the Court could otherwise use to hire roughly 1,900 staff to process filings and serve the public in a timely manner.

Faced with these pressures, the Court must act now to stabilize its budget, prepare for the years ahead, and avoid layoffs and furloughs in FY 2026-27. The VSIP provides eligible employees a voluntary path to separate from Court service, allowing the Court to reduce salary-driven operating costs while forestalling more severe measures. Any staffing reduction will inevitably affect service levels, but the Court remains firmly committed to fair and timely access to justice and will continue to use every available tool to navigate these fiscal constraints responsibly.

"Parting ways with dedicated and talented staff is never something we take lightly," Executive Officer/Clerk of Court David W. Slayton said. "But with our funding continuing to fall short of what it takes to sustain critical court operations, we are hopeful that enough employees will choose to voluntarily separate, providing critical savings and helping us protect the workforce as we move into the next fiscal year."

Beginning Sept. 21, the VSIP will offer a $35,000 one-time payment to current full-time, regular status court employees with five or more years of continuous service who elect to resign. Approved employees must voluntarily separate on or before Dec. 24 and will be ineligible for reemployment with the Court for one year. Positions vacated through the program will be eliminated outright, producing ongoing budget savings rather than one-time relief.

Court users should expect reduced or delayed service due to staffing reductions and other operational cuts, including longer wait times at service windows, slower call center response, and delays in legal document processing.

The VSIP is one of several measures the Court is taking to manage its budget responsibly amid ongoing funding shortfalls. The Court continues to examine its operations for efficiency opportunities, including streamlining internal processes and administrative functions wherever possible. It has also delayed or eliminated select special projects and is reviewing programs that fall outside the Court's core mission for potential reduction or elimination. The Court remains committed to identifying every reasonable cost-saving measure available before considering more severe actions such as layoffs or furloughs.

The Court last used a VSIP program to reduce its budget in 2024, resulting in approximately $4 million in ongoing budget reductions.

The largest trial court in the nation, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County serves a population of almost 10 million across 36 courthouses with a jurisdiction covering over 4,000 square miles, 88 cities, 140 unincorporated areas, and dozens of law enforcement agencies. The Court is steadfast in its mission to serve our community by providing equal access to justice through the fair, timely, and effective resolution of all cases."