South Florida court clerks cuts may affect the administration of justice

Examiner.com - June 10, 12:53 PM

The Florida legislature cut $46 Million from court clerks statewide, and the affects in South Florida are staggering. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties will lay off a combined 259 employees, out of a total 3,250 current employees. This will mean longer lines to file or obtain documents, make payments, and will likely affect courtroom efficiency.

Until a recent law making court clerks’ budgets part of the overall state budget, each county’s clerk managed their own budget with little or no state oversight. Once the law went into effect, the clerks’ offices were immediately faced with the overall state budget crisis, resulting in massive personnel cuts and fee hikes.

In the Miami-Dade court clerk’s office, which currently has approximately 1,500 employees, Court Clerk Harvy Ruvin has announced that 145 employees will be laid off and 83 vacant positions will be eliminated. In Broward County, of the 950 employees currently employed, Clerk Howard Forman will lay off 48, eliminate 81 vacant positions and institute a mandatory 1 day per month furlough. Palm Beach County Clerk Sharon Bock, who employs 800 people, will lay off 66 employees.

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South Florida court clerks cuts may affect the administration of justice

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