PRESS RELEASE New York State Contact: David Bookstaver, Unified Court System ‘Communications Director Arlene Hackel, Assistant Director Hon. Ann Pfau (212) 428-2500 Chief Administrative Judge www.courts.state.ny.us Release: Immediate, March 2, 2011 Si nt of f Judge Jonath: in on. ‘iary Budget Issues NEW YORK - Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman issued the following statement today regarding Judiciary budget issues: “In my State of the Judiciary Address two weeks ago, I made clear that the court system recognizes its dual obligation to reduce expenditures in response to New York's grave fiscal crisis while simultaneously fulfilling our constitutional responsibility to keep our courthouses open and provide equal justice for all. At that time, I indicated that we were in the process of reviewing every possible option to achieve additional savings -- now and in the future. I am now announcing that the Judiciary is taking steps both to foster long-range economies in the coming years and to achieve significant cost savings for the new fiscal year. Long-term Proposals First and foremost, our present constitutionally mandated structure of eleven separate trial courts is archaic and inefficient. It is by far the most complex and difficult court system in the entire ‘country to operate and manage, and the most confusing for the public to navigate. Streamlining our court structure will enable us to better serve the public and save the State, as well as litigants and 1local governments, many hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Our own studies, including that of the Special Commission on the Future of the New York State Courts, and those of independent observers, like the Citizens Budget Commission, make that abundantly clear. Over the coming months, | will be reaching out to the Governor - - who has made it a priority to consolidate and streamline State and local government - - as well as the Legislature and our own judicial associations so that we can together think anew about how to create a court system that is less cumbersome, more rational in its construction, and designed to achieve greater economies and better serve the public. In the same vein, I will be calling for full implementation of electronic filing in our courts. ‘Moder technology has advanced to the point that legal papers filed in our courts can and should be handled electronically. In the year 2011, this is not a pipe-dream, but rather the very least we should be doing to move the courts boldly and efficiently into the 21* century. The success of our present e- filing programs very much supports the full-scale implementation of a mandatory statewide e-filing system. This effort requires further legislative action, and I will work with the Governor and the Legislature toward this end, which has the potential to save New York State, litigants, including local governments, and the bar hundreds of millions of dollars a year, while also greatly enhancing the efficiency and convenience of doing business in our courts. E-filing is part of a broader effort toward creating a "digital courthouse," where the bar and public will be able not only to file papers electronically, but to quickly retrieve court documents, receive court orders, pay fines and fees, and make remote court appearances that will be recorded electronically. So much of the basic business transacted in our courts can be accomplished without lawyers or litigants physically appearing in the courthouse. The "digital courthouse" will provide vast savings for the courts, litigants, and local governments. Finally, within the next ten days, we will provide to the Legislature a package of proposals to streamline proceedings in civil, criminal, family and surrogate’s courts that will save money, expedite case processing and enable us to better serve the public. 2011-2012 Fiscal Year On December 1* of last year, the Judiciary submitted a budget request of $2.7 billion for the coming fiscal year that included a reduction in the court system's operational budget from the current 2fiscal year despite substantial mandatory cost increases. This reduction was achieved through significant attrition in the court work force and cuts in all areas of spending. The December 1* submission of our budget ~~ a date set by the State Constitution ~ occurred well before the formulation and submission of Governor Cuomo's State budget on February 1* of this year, a date also required by law. The Governor’s commentary on our budget stated: “I respectfully ask the Judicial Branch to reduce its spending while continuing to serve those who seek justice.” Accordingly, | instructed Chief Administrative Judge Pfau to revisit our budget request in order to ensure that we were in every way responding to the State’s economic problems, consistent with our obligation to pursue justice for each and every person in this State. Asa result of this review, we are taking further austerity measures for the coming fiscal year that will result in additional savings of $100 million to the State. We will achieve this target through continued reductions in the court system's workforce, including a hard freeze on hiring, layoffs of administrative and other non-operational personnel if necessary, and programmatic efficiencies ~ re- examining all non-personal service expenditures, including programs such as Judicial Hearing Officers, Town and Village Court assistance, the Judicial Institute, legal reference materials, and the like. This reduced budget request will have a significant impact on every part of our court system. Nevertheless, we can and will keep the doors of our courthouses fully open while fostering equal access to justice. Difficult sacrifices will be made, but this is exactly what we should be doing as a good partner in government at a time when the State is facing extraordinary fiscal challenges. Thave directed Chief Administrative Judge Pfau to inform the Governor and the Legislature of our reduced budgetary request for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. I would note that, over the long run, it is essential that the other branches join with us in making the basic structural and court procedural changes that are necessary if the Judiciary is to continue to be modern, efficient and fiscally sound. Surely, re-engineering the antiquated framework of our court system and using technology to its maximum potential must be at the forefront of such an effort."