With state budgets slashed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders in the South Florida justice system foresee choppy waters ahead. Here’s what local state attorneys, public defenders and courts say attorneys should know.

The cuts follow reports from Florida state officials of a $427 million drop in revenue this June from sales taxes and fees, which normally help cover salaries and government programs. But the total loss for the fiscal year 2019-20 was a bruising $1.9 billion.