LITTLE ROCK — A special judicial task force voted Friday to recommend that all trial court assistants take unpaid furlough at the end of January to help ease a court funding crunch caused by declining revenue.
Chief Justice Jim Hannah and Ralph Wilson, president of the Arkansas Judicial Council, notified all circuit judges in Arkansas of the recommendation that trial court assistants be furloughed without pay for 3 1/2 days between Jan. 26 and Jan. 31.
About 125 court employees would be affected.
“This is obviously not an option which anyone prefers. It may still be avoided should there either be additional court costs and filing fees remitted to the Administration of Justice Fund or additional emergency funds provided to the Auditor,” Hannah and Wilson said in their letter to judges. “Absent these possibilities, however, the Auditor of State will be required to take action to limit employment for which they have no ability to pay.”
Earlier this year, declining revenues from fewer civil case filings, among other problems, resulted in cash-flow problems that jeopardized pay for trial court personnel.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Gov. Mike Beebe stepped in with emergency funding, and court officials put in place several austerity measures in an effort to keep the pay problem in check until the February fiscal session.
Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said Friday the governor is aware of the situation and is looking at options to help. DeCample said Beebe has not made any decision on additional funding for the courts
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Arkansas News Bureau business columnist Roby Brock contributed to this report