Employment Law: Contra Costa Superior Court Terminates 16 Workers due to Budget Deficit

February 10, 2010

Martinez – In an effort to manage its budget deficit, the Contra Costa Superior Court will be laying off 16 workers this February. The affected workers include 15 courtroom and legal clerks and a maintenance employee.

The said workers were already given notices this week that their last day will be on February 25.

According to courts spokesperson Mimi Lyster, the courts did all it could to avoid layoffs of staff members but the state’s fiscal problems has forced $7.4 million in cuts.

In the last 18 months, Contra Costa Superior Court has laid off four administration executives and 39 temporary employees.

The courts have also eliminated about 20 vacant management and staff positions left open by attrition.

The decrease in personnel is expected to affect the already mounting backlog of works in the court. Since September, all state and county courts are closed every third Wednesday of the month to cut costs.

Lyster admitted that the cuts would make it impossible to sustain the current service levels given by the court.

“We expect further delays in processing and adjudicating,” Lyster said.

Lyster also could not guarantee that there will be no more further layoffs in the future. She said the courts are also considering eliminating or reducing services that are not required by the state.