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Courts: Thousands of jobs at stake in justice system |
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Written by John Kennedy | Tallahassee Bureau
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Monday, 07 April 2008 |
Much of the costs for Florida's court system are for personnel. The
3,527 public defenders, state attorneys, judges and support staff
across the state face sharp cuts.
The Senate is demanding a $15 million reduction that could eliminate
303 positions. In the Orange-Osceola judicial circuit, at least 21 jobs
could be erased, ranging from clerical workers to translators,
paralegals and attorneys, likely causing long delays or forcing the
dismissal of some cases outright, said Chief Judge Belvin Perry.
The House proposal digs even deeper, calling for a $27.8 million cut.
The House would slice 522 positions across the crowded system,
including 36 in the Orlando area.
"You would put a stake through the heart of the third branch of government," Perry said.
The Senate is trying to ease some of the cuts by recommending $104 million in court fee increases, a roughly 10 percent boost.
In the state's prison system, the Senate would cut 2,200 jobs, while
the House eliminates 985 positions. The Senate spending plan also lacks
money to build more prisons, while the House would appropriate $295
million for that purpose. The present inmate population of nearly
100,000 is expected to grow by 25 percent in the next five years.
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