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Judges: Budget cuts could close courtrooms

Original post made on Sep 25, 2012

San Mateo County Superior Court judges announced a plan Tuesday to close up to six courtrooms if the state does not reverse "unprecedented" budget cuts.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, September 25, 2012, 11:44 AM

Comments (2)

Posted by Stan
a resident of Portola Valley: Los Trancos Woods/Vista Verde
on Sep 25, 2012 at 12:44 pm

How about increasing productivity?????????
The last time I was called for jury duty I spent 2 1/2 days sitting in the courtroom waiting to never be actually interviewed for a jury for a simple DUI (non-felony) case. Endless recitations of the same stuff over and over and over. To prospective jurors who eventually had probably heard the same monolog 40 -50 times. I know, I know you can argue that legal minutia requires pedantic repetition to insure against later challenge but come on! Let's take a risk that if all the juror instruction information is only repeated say 10 times that an appeals court may just find that was enough.
All this along with 1 1/2 hour lunch breaks, not actually beginning proceeding until around 9:30 or 10:00, finish for the day at around 4:30, only in court 4 days a week.
Again I'm sure there are a zillion excuses for such a low level of "contact hours" but the courts should look at ways to increase productivity not decrease availability.


Posted by Michael G Stogner
a resident of another community
on Sep 25, 2012 at 2:19 pm

Stan says How about increasing productivity?????????

I was in SSF Court yesterday and the Judge managed to move on 115 cases in one day. I'd say that is pretty good productivity.


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