Faced with a projected $2.3 million budget deficit, the Santa Cruz County Superior Court system has decided to consolidate its operations.
Faced with a projected $2.3 million budget deficit, the Santa Cruz County Superior Court system has decided to consolidate its operations. As of July 1, all criminal matters under the court’s jurisdiction will be heard in Santa Cruz, with the exception of juvenile matters, which will also be tried in Watsonville. The number of misdemeanor and felony courts will also be reduced from three each to two each. The expected slack will be picked up by a new trial court, which will deal with preliminary hearings and jury and court trials. The proposal saves the court system $1.9 million. It is hoped that the remaining $400,000 will be eliminated through continued furlough days and other arrangements to be negotiated with the unions, including early retirements.
The decision comes just two years after Watsonville inaugurated its new courthouse, capable of holding full jury trials. Now, however, the court will be limited to handling family law and juvenile cases.
The most vocal complaints about the new arrangement however, come from a broad coalition of groups, ranging from prisoners’ rights advocates to the Sheriff’s Office. Though they each have their own reasons, they are all concerned about the new need to transport prisoners to Santa Cruz for trial. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
