Budget Resource
Center

...providing state budgets, reports, and current news to help the court community make informed budgetary decisions.

Massachusetts

Actions Underway

• Massachusetts is a state-funded court system.  To respond to budget reductions, Massachusetts implemented an absolute hiring freeze in October, 2008, which will save $4 million in FY09 and $9 million in FY10.  It is temporarily reassigning personnel on a voluntary basis to offset the impact of the hiring freeze.
• Massachusetts will not be able to fund negotiated salary increases for clerical staff, saving $13 million in FY09 and $17.5 million in FY10.
• Massachusetts has cancelled contracts with Alternative Dispute Resolution providers and limited assignments of Guardians Ad Litem.
• It has installed digital recording technology in Superior Court civil sessions to eliminate use of per diem court reporters, saving $450,000 in FY09 and $925,000 in FY10.
• Massachusetts has reduced travel expenses by lowering the mileage reimbursement rate to $.30 per mile, restricted in-state travel and prohibited out of state travel.
• Massachusetts has saved $2.2 million through voluntary reduction in work days/hours and another $2.6 million through a retirement incentive program.
• Massachusetts is reviewing all private leases for court and administrative space and has already cancelled leases for two courts.
• Massachusetts is centralizing the ordering of supplies, evaluating ways to reduce the expense of mailing to prospective jurors and is identifying ways that technology can lead to greater efficiencies.
• Other cost-saving meagures that Massachusetts has implemented was to cancel judicial education conferences, chang from Court Reporters to Digital Audio, reduce the number of full-time Court Interpreters, reduced law book subscriptions and established a Fiscal Task Force.
• FY2010 Gov. Patrick cut $6.1 million from the state's trial courts, or most of the $9.4 million approved in the spending bill.
  

Reports and Articles

• Dan Ring. "Patrick Vetoes $33 million in Expenditures." The Republican. August 8, 2009.
• Barbara Rabinovitz. "Land Court Hit by Crises in Housing and Staffing." Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. April 13, 2009.
• Jonathon Saltzman. "Top Judges Question Budget Plan." The Boston Globe. April 1, 2009.
• Bill Archambeault. "Additional Budget Cuts Forcing Trial Court Dept. to Consider Layoffs, Courthouse Closings." Massachusetts Bar Association, Lawyers Journal. March 2009.
• Gary V. Murray. "Trial Court Seeks to Restore Funds." Worcester Telegram & Gazette News. February 20, 2009.
• Megan Woolhouse. "Bay State's Top Jurist Says Courts Are in Crisis." The Boston Globe.. February 17, 2009.
• Edward A. Adams. "Economy & Politics Threaten State Courts, ABA House Told." ABA Journal Law News Now. February 16, 2009.
• Brian Fraga. "Budget Cuts Imperil Court System, Lawyers Say." SouthCoastToday.com. January 20, 2009.

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State Links

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• State Budgets for 2009
• State Budget Offices