Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, May. 26, 2011
Top photo:
Top row from left to right: MBA Treasurer Robert L. Holloway Jr.; Housing Court Chief Justice Steven D. Pierce; Juvenile Court Chief Justice Michael F. Edgerton; Land Court Chief Justice Karyn F. Scheier; Superior Court Chief Justice Barbara J. Rouse; panel moderator Supreme Judicial Court Associate Justice Ralph D. Gants; MBA President Denise Squillante; MBA Vice President and Centennial Conference Co-Chair Douglas K. Sheff.
Bottom row from left to right: District Court Chief Justice Lynda M. Connolly; Probate and Family Court Chief Justice Paula M. Carey; Boston Municipal Court Chief Justice Charles R. Johnson; Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan; Appeals Court Chief Justice Phillip Rapoza.
Bottom photo:
MBA Public Service Award honoree Supreme Judicial Court Clerk for Suffolk County Maura S. Doyle (center) credited her staff as being the “most knowledgeable and talented” in the court system and thanked them publicly for making “this night possible for me” at the “Hail to the Chiefs” Bench-Bar panel.
Photos by Merrill Shea.
State’s chief justices give overview of budget constraints at May 18 "Hail to the Chiefs" Bench-Bar panel and reception
MBA presents SJC Suffolk County Clerk Maura S. Doyle with the MBA Public Service Award
The message from nine of the state's chief justices was clear
and consistent: budget cuts have forced them to do more with less,
and technology has helped keep on top of the mounting workload.
That overview came during the "Hail to the Chiefs" bench-bar
panel moderated by Supreme Judicial Court Associate Justice Ralph
D. Gants. The panel wrapped up day one of the Massachusetts Bar
Association's Centennial Conference on May 18 at the Boston
Sheraton Hotel.
"Where we go from here remains a good question," Chief Justice
for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan said after
giving an overview of the courts' $85 million in budget reductions
since fiscal 2009. Just one day earlier, the Senate Ways &
Means Committee released its fiscal 2012 budget, which funds the
Trial Court at $519.8 million, a $24.3 million cut. He suggested
civil cases will be affected.
"We're at the point where we are going to have to take
measures," Mulligan said. "We will not be able to deliver justice
at every courthouse from 8 to 4 five days a week."
These tough economic times have made a tremendous impact on the
Land Court, which is dealing with a large number of foreclosures,
Land Court Chief Justice Karyn F. Scheier said. At the peak, the
court was receiving 130 cases a day. That number has now dropped to
70 cases a day, but is expected to rise once the mortgage industry
completes its reform of the foreclosure process. "We're triaging
every day," said Scheier, who added that she does not believe
judicial foreclosure is the answer.
Panelists included:
- Chief Justice Paula M. Carey, Probate and
Family Court;
- Chief Justice Lynda M. Connolly, District
Court;
- Chief Justice Michael F. Edgerton, Juvenile
Court;
- Chief Justice Charles R. Johnson, Boston
Municipal Court;
- Chief Justice for Administration and
Management Robert A. Mulligan;
- Chief Justice Steven D. Pierce, Housing
Court;
- Chief Justice Phillip Rapoza, Appeals
Courts;
- Chief Justice Barbara J. Rouse, Superior
Court; and
- Chief Justice Karyn F. Scheier, Land
Court.
"Hail to the Chiefs" closed with a reception, where SJC
Suffolk County Clerk Maura S. Doyle received the MBA
Public Service Award. Doyle is the first woman to hold the position
of SJC Clerk for Suffolk County since the position's inception in
1692, and the first woman to hold a Suffolk County-wide elected
office.
Click
here to view photos from the May 18 "Hail to the Chiefs"
Bench-Bar Panel and Reception.
Look in the June issue of Lawyers Journal for full
coverage of the commemorative events.