Judiciary

Commentary of the Governor on the Judiciary Budget (PDF)

Agency Web Site: http://www.nycourts.gov/admin/financialops/Budgets.shtml

Mission

The Judiciary is one of the three branches of New York State government. The mission of the Judiciary is to provide a forum for the fair and prompt resolution of civil and family disputes, criminal charges, disputes between citizens and the state, and challenges to government action. Other matters within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary are administration of decedents’ estates, presiding over adoptions and proceedings to protect children and incapacitated persons, and regulation of the admission of lawyers to the Bar and their conduct and discipline. Each year more than four million new cases are filed in the New York State Courts.

Budget Highlights

The Judiciary’s General Fund Operating Budget request for Fiscal Year 2013-2014, excluding fringe benefits, is $1.75 billion. The request is a decrease of $212,013 from the current fiscal year budget, or a reduction of .012%. This negative budget request is being presented in the face of a number of cost increases, including the second phase of the judicial salary increase, and contractually-required increments for eligible nonjudicial employees. In addition, the budget allows for meaningful, but reasonable, expansion of funding for civil legal services and indigent criminal defense for New York City. The Judiciary is able to absorb much of the $56 million required for these statutory increases and priority initiatives through continuation of cost savings measures and careful control of attrition and hiring.

The vast majority of the Judiciary budget supports personnel, so controlling these costs is critical. Over the past three fiscal years, as a result of participation in the Early Retirement Incentive Program, targeted layoffs, a hiring freeze, and other measures, the nonjudicial workforce of the court system has been reduced by more than 1,500 positions, a reduction of almost ten percent. Our current staffing is below levels last seen a decade ago, despite a significant increase in our workload over that time period.

In response to the State’s fiscal condition, the Judiciary has been engaged in an ongoing and comprehensive review of its operations. The court system has streamlined administration, eliminated or reduced programs that are not critical to its core mission, modified court operations, and cut all but essential expenditures. The goal is not just to reduce costs, but to rethink the way that we do business and to find the best, and most efficient, ways to serve the justice needs of all New Yorkers.

In preparing this budget request, the Judiciary was very aware of the impact that Hurricane Sandy is having on the State’s financial situation, in terms of both increased expenditures and reduced revenues. The Judiciary’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 reflects its commitment to work with the other branches of government in addressing this fiscal crisis, while at the same time ensuring that the courts have the resources necessary to provide timely and fair justice to every person who comes to our courthouses.

The Judiciary’s All Funds budget request for Fiscal Year 2013-2014, excluding fringe benefits, totals $1.97 billion, an increase of $1.2 million over the 2012-2013 All Funds budget. This increase is attributable to increases in the Court Facilities Incentive Aid Program and the Judiciary Data Processing Offset Account.

The Judiciary’s proposed budget reflects the court system’s continuing commitment to work with the other branches of government in addressing the State’s fiscal crisis, while ensuring that the courts are also able to provide timely and fair justice to all New Yorkers.

Judiciary (PDF)