Court Leader's Advantage

Budget Strategies: What Have We Learned from the Lockdown?

About three weeks ago, May 14, 2020, the financial crisis was looming, but the details were still vague. Since then several courts have been forced to begin budget cuts that have included layoffs and furloughs. Yet even now all we can say about the national situation is, it remains fluid. Dread over the upcoming economic statistics turned to excitement on Friday, June 5th as the unemployment numbers were better than expected. Still, unemployment remains well above the highest numbers seen during the 2008 recession. What do we know now after several weeks have gone by? Have courts adapted their plans to the changing economic situation?

This week panelists are asked a question by listener Jeff Barlow on the difference between the “thin the soup” and the “ration the soup” strategies for court budget reductions. The panel also talks about how to manage through layoffs and employee furloughs; charging for establishing time payment schedules; extending those schedules out to help defendants through the recession; coping with an expected increase in default judgments, landlord-tenant disputes, and home foreclosures; finally panelists predict what the next 12 months will hold for the courts.

This Week's Panelists:

Zenell Brown has garnered respect both as Executive Court Administrator for the Third Circuit Court in Detroit, Michigan, and for her ethical leadership and innovation.  Zenell has a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School, a Public Service Administration Graduate Certificate from Central Michigan University, and  a Court Administration Certificate from Michigan State University.

Richard J. "Rick" Pierce is the Judicial Programs Administrator of the Judicial District Operations and Programs Department, at the Pennsylvania Administrative Office of the Courts.  Prior to his current position, he was the district court administrator for Cumberland County.  He graduated from Washington and Lee University, and received his Masters in Public Administration from Shippensburg University.

Angela S. "Angie" VanSchoick is the Court Administrator with the Town of Breckenridge Municipal Court.   She received her MSW from the University of Michigan in 2007.   She also assist the Court and with the Colorado Association for Municipal Court Administration.

Elizabeth "Liz" Rambo is the Trial Court Administrator for Lane County Circuit Court in Eugene, Oregon.  She graduated with high scholarship from Oregon State University with a BA in history and has an MBA from Portland State University.

Chris Gaddis has been the Court Administrator for the Superior Court of Washington for Pierce County for 4 years. Prior to working for the court, he served in law enforcement. He is a member of the Washington State Jury Diversity Task Force and the Washington State Supreme Court Minority and Justice Commission Public Trust and Confidence Committee.

Michael Roddy is the Executive Officer of the Superior Court of San Diego County.  Prior to his current position he served as the California Administrative Office of the Courts’Regional Administrative Director for the Northern/Central Region, and was Executive Officer of the Sacramento Superior Court.

Mark A. Weinberg is the Court Administrator for the Seventh Judicial Circuit in Daytona Beach, Florida.  Prior to his current position, he was an administrator with the court in Maricopa County, Arizona.  He holds a bachelor's degree in public administration from James Madison University and a master's degree in judicial administration from the University of Denver.

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