SACRAMENTO — California’s judiciary could save $356 million — and easily absorb the governor’s proposed $200 million in cuts — primarily by tapping trial courts’ reserves and a major construction fund, the state’s legislative analyst’s office said in a report issued today.
The fee- and fine-funded Immediate and Critical Needs Account, created in 2008 to finance 41 courthouse projects around the state, could provide $150 million in operating cash over the next two years, the LAO said. Draining that money won’t delay any construction projects because the fund’s balance has grown larger than expected, according to the analyst.
