Center Court
- Vol. 6, No. 2 - Spring 2003
The
Budget Crunch:
NCSC
Helps Courts Turn Crisis Into Opportunity
State
courts are faced with the toughest budgetary crisis in recent memory.
For example, California’s budget deficit of more than $30 billion is
greater than the entire budget of many other states, and Virginia has been
scrambling to make up a more than $3 billion budget shortfall.
The
Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court
Administrators (COSCA) have challenged NCSC to find out how the courts are
coping with crowded dockets and short funds. As a first step, NCSC
surveyed courts to determine the depth of each state’s financial
situation—and how courts have coped. This information was shared
with court leaders at CCJ’s and COSCA’s midyear meetings.
NCSC
is also hosting an online listserv for the immediate exchange of ideas and
questions concerning tight court budgets. Listserv members include
court leaders chosen by state chief justices and state court
administrators. “It’s been said that ‘nothing facilitates
change like footsteps on the guillotine,’” said Daniel J.
Hall, vice
president of NCSC’s Court Consulting Services group, “and we’re
committed to finding ways to turn the current crisis into opportunity for
change and improvement.
“Through
the listserv, courts can share solutions and NCSC can promote specific
services to help courts,” said Hall. “It will also provide a
means to distribute the advocacy information courts need to take to their
state legislatures.”
Hall
heads up a budget initiative committee to see this work through.
Other members are Richard Van Duizend, senior court management consultant;
Robert W. Tobin, principal court management consultant; and Kenneth G.
Pankey, Jr., senior knowledge management analyst.
NCSC’s
Budget Initiative Committee
Daniel
J. Hall previously served as the director of the Division of Planning and
Analysis of the Colorado Judicial Department, where he was responsible for
the judiciary’s $170 million annual budget.
Richard
Van Duizend was the executive director of NCSC’s International Programs
and a deputy director of the State Justice Institute, where he managed the
SJI grant program, before joining NCSC’s Court Consulting Services
office.
Robert
W. Tobin has specialized in helping courts with budgets and financing for
several years and has written numerous articles and monographs on the
subject.
Kenneth
G. Pankey, Jr. has
written extensively on court finances, most recently as part of NCSC’s
2002 Report on Trends in the State Courts.
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