Stating that sequestration has put the federal Judiciary “in uncharted territory,” a federal judge told the Judicial Conference today that “we face a budget crisis that is unprecedented, one that is not likely to end in the near-term.”

“We believe we have done all we can to minimize the impact of sequestration, but a cut of this magnitude, particularly so late in the fiscal year, will affect every facet of court operations,” Judge Julia Gibbons, chair of the Conference’s Budget Committee, told the Conference at its biannual meeting in Washington. She said sequestration will “impact the general public as well as individuals and businesses looking for relief in the courts.”

The impact of sequestration is particularly severe for the Judiciary because its budget is so heavily driven by people – whether it’s the cost of judges and court staff and the space required to do their jobs, the cost of defense attorneys, jurors, and the courtroom space they require, or the cost of court security officers and the equipment needed to make courthouses safe. As a result, when sequestration occurs, especially at mid-year, there is little recourse for the courts but to layoff or furlough staff. Sequestration reduced the judiciary overall funding levels by almost $350 million – a 5 percent cut affecting people, programs, and court operations.

Read original article


Tags: Conference?s Budget Committee, Judicial Conference, Sequestration