On July 6, I had the privilege of being interviewed for the Rochester NBC affiliate for a program called NY Exposed:  New York’s Costly Courts. It was based on my research that showed that the New York judicial budget is the highest per capita in the country in spite of the fact that court filings have declined by nearly 1.4 million in the last ten years. In that time the budget has increased $440 million to $2.9 billion for fiscal year 2017-2018. Florida, which has 147,000 more people than New York, runs its judiciary on a tad under $539 million or $27.09 per person.  New York operates at $148.89 per person.

I have asked for many years to speak to the legislative budget committee about the judicial budget only to be told, “No thanks.” But, hey, as this was the Peacock Network, Rochester edition, the Office of Court Administration had to explain why it costs an extra $440 million to handle 1.4 million fewer cases. Their response? “Our budget is 90% salaries and benefits.” Well, yeah, but whose fault is that?  Any guesses?