Court System Disapproves 2021 Certifications and Recertifications for Judges Due to Budget Cuts

9.29.20 In response to a 10% cut to the Judiciary budget, the administrative board of the Office of Court Administration has decided to disapprove “all but a small handful” of pending judicial applications for certification or recertification that would take effect on January 1, 2021. The aim of this decision is to save the court system $55 million over the next two years, help it avoid layoffs, and reduce the number of layoffs in extreme situations. The City Bar’s Council on Judicial Administration (Michael Regan, Chair) sent a letter to Chief Judge DiFiore and Chief Administrative Judge Marks opposing this decision, decrying what will surely be a growing backlog of cases and a loss of substantial expertise and experience when it is needed most.