Law Libraries To Close Under Budget Pressure
By DOUGLAS S. MALAN
The Judicial Branch is preparing to close six of the its 16 law libraries and has released specific dates for the closing of three courthouses, saying that budget cuts have forced the branch’s hand.
Chief Court Administrator Judge Barbara Quinn testified before the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the state’s decision to cut $12.8 million from its budget for the next fiscal year goes “well beyond what is practical, sustainable or possible.”
Therefore, she noted to the committee, the branch is planning to close six law libraries, saving about $1 million a year.
Maintaining the 10 other libraries plus providing online research tools to judges and legal research clerks will still cost about $1.5 million, “none of which is budgeted this year,” Quinn said.
She was not available for further comment on Thursday.
Quinn also identified in her testimony when three leased court facilities would close in the near future. The Willimantic Juvenile Court will close by Nov. 1, 2010 and move its business to a smaller Judicial Branch-owned building in the city; the Bristol GA courthouse will close by March 1, 2011 and move its business to New Britain; and the Norwalk juvenile courthouse will close by July 1, 2010. The juvenile court’s business would move to Stamford, unless the branch decides to close the Norwalk GA courthouse and move that court’s business to Stamford. Then the juvenile court’s business would move to the vacated GA location, Quinn noted.
Quinn suggested that the Appropriations Committee restore $7.8 million to the Judicial Branch’s budget. In September, Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed the legislature’s vote to exempt the Judicial Branch from having to cut more than $5 million from its budget and requested that the Judicial Branch cut $12.8 million total.
Quinn outlined various other effects of cutting that much money from the budget, including reduced funding for legal aid, juvenile initiatives and victims services.•
HOME
