IOWA COURTS FACE STAFFING SHORTAGE

 MAY FIRST IS RECOGNIZED AS LAW DAY ACROSS AMERICA AND WHILE THE JUDICIAL BRANCH PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR DEMOCRACY, NO STATE SPENDS MORE THAN FOUR PER CENT OF ITS ANNUAL BUDGET ON THE JUDICIARY.

IN IOWA, THE APPROPRIATION IS JUST OVER TWO AND A HALF PER CENT. JUDGE DUANE HOFFMEYER, WHO HEADS THE THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF IOWA, SAYS CURRENT STAFFING IS LOWER NOW THAT IT WAS IN 1987:

JUDGE HOFFMEYER SAYS FEWER WORKERS MEAN PRIORITIZING CASES, WITH CRIMINAL CASES TAKING PRECEDENT OVER CIVIL CASES.

HOFFMEYER SAYS 13 JUDICIAL VACANCIES ARE CURRENTLY UNFILLED  TO HELP THE STATE COURT SYSTEM MEET ITS BUDGET:

THE STATE'S  CHIEF JUSTICE HAS ASKED FOR MORE FUNDING TO REOPEN CLERKS OFFICES ON A FULLTIME BASIS, BUT THAT FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATURE.