Iowa court offices to close for a day as judiciary struggles with budget cuts

By Bob Steenson
And The Associated Press

Closing Iowa court offices Friday will save the state almost $365,000, although it might lead to delays in some trials.

Iowa court offices will be closed today because of mid-year budget cuts that forced the Judicial Branch to reduce its overall expenses.

Mark Cady, chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, spoke about the judiciary’s budget challenges in an interview with the Press in April, when the court was in Charles City for oral arguments on a case.

“Funding is a real issue for us. People’s interests and concerns are the same as they’ve always been,” Cady said, noting there is a steady demand for court services regardless of the state funding level.

“Every issue we address is an issue that was raised in a community in Iowa,” Cady said. “The challenge is meeting the goals of what a justice system is supposed to do. Everything we do becomes a priority because we don’t have enough funds.

“We don’t operate with a lot of leeway,” he said. “It’s tight for us — just like it is for others.”

The chief justice said specialty courts such as drug courts and mental health courts are at risk because of funding, despite their proven track record of being successful dealing with the problems that some people have.

“They’re successful because of the judges who are willing to put in the extra time,” he said.

Cady said the judiciary is also being asked to handle cases that deal with more and more social issues, such as same-sex marriage, abortion rights and how juvenile cases are handled.

“Look at the last three years,” Cady said. “Quite a few cases that deal with sentencing in juvenile cases have come up.”

Cady said he is committed to making the judiciary accessible despite funding challenges.

For example, the practice of holding oral arguments in communities outside Des Moines, such as the recent case in Charles City, are important, as are the opportunities for justices to go into area schools during those outreach efforts.

“I think what we’re doing — creating a greater understanding of our courts — is working,” he said. “I am committed to making the court system stronger, more accessible.

“These cases really do impact our lives,” he said.

Gary Mattson, an officer with the lobbying group Iowa Association for Justice, said budget cuts have led to some delays in civil trials because judges are understaffed and can’t travel for some trials.

“The system is overburdened,” said Mattson, a Des Moines trial attorney. “It creates delays that cause problems for the courts and litigants, too.”

The Legislature’s 2018 budget for the judiciary didn’t restore its funding to fully operational levels. The Iowa Supreme Court will approve a budget for the upcoming fiscal year in late June.

Judicial Branch spokesman Steve Davis said the state Supreme Court will face difficult decisions as it finalizes the agency’s tight budget.

After the Legislature approved the judiciary budget, State Court Administrator David Boyd sent a memo to agency employees that warned the cuts would likely diminish the level of services provided to citizens.

Mattson said closures can cause a chain reaction of delays because paperwork and day-to-day activities are not completed on the normal timeline.

“They’re trying to do too much with too little,” Mattson said. “It’s just a problem for everybody involved.”