In Gov. Charlie Baker's fiscal year 2017 budget, the Trial Court
was left with a $6.7 million reduction in funding from the
Legislature's final budget. As the Legislature begins to take up
veto overrides, the Massachusetts Bar Association will continue to
fight for legislative overrides of the governor's vetoes of Trial
Court line items.
Current funding for fiscal year 2017 of $633 million does not
support current staffing levels and may likely result in reduced
public hours in clerk's and registrar's offices, increased
caseloads for probation officers, security personnel shortages, and
a delay of the ongoing effort to digitize paper court
records.
The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation was spared a
reduction and is funded at $18 million for fiscal year 2017, a $1
million increase over fiscal year 2016.
Juvenile justice reform bill
In legislation passed by the Senate the second week of July,
juvenile records of misdemeanors would be expunged. The legislation
would also create a parent/child privilege, exclude young children
(7-10 years old) from delinquency proceedings and codify the
Juvenile Court's practice of banning indiscriminate shackling,
among other provisions. The bill now awaits action in the House of
Representatives. To read the legislation, please visit
malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S2417.