Photo Credit: Jason Scally
MBA President Robert W. Harnais speaks to members of the bench and fellow bar association leaders.
MBA President Robert W. Harnais spoke to court chiefs and fellow
bar association leaders about the importance of court funding at a
meeting at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston on April 5. Harnais
repeated his call from January's Walk to the Hill where he asked
lawyers to contact their elected officials and invite them to visit
the courts for themselves. While many legislators have appeared at
Drug Court graduation ceremonies, Harnais suggested that they also
be urged to visit courts at other times, such as during
arraignments.
Prior to Harnais, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D.
Gants welcomed attendees and thanked the bar for its support,
calling lawyers the closest thing to a "natural constituency" for
the courts. He commented how his own regular visits to the trial
courts, including a recent visit to Brockton, have shown him how
hard court staffers are working, but also how the courts cannot
afford to lose any more personnel.
Massachusetts Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey and Trial
Court Administrator Harry Spence also spoke at the event, were they
discussed the Trial Court's three budgetary areas of focus, or
modules: expanding specialty courts, like drug courts; expanding
the Housing Court statewide; and upgrading the court's electronic
security system. Regarding the latter, Spence said that the state
courts have a "drastically aging system," compared to the federal
courts, which renew their devices every five years. He said many of
the state's devices are more than 10 years old, and the electronic
security system in the Brooke Courthouse in Boston completely
failed one day five months ago.
This year's bench-bar meeting also included a panel on
lawyer-for-the day programs before concluding with a reception.