When Judges get stupid: Judges sue Grays Harbor County over budget cuts

For me, the response to this idiocy would be simple:

I would re-examine the county budget and zero out that part of it going to the superior court.

Apparently, graduating from law school doesn't make you avoid becoming a blithering idiot.  Budget cuts in this economy are the order of the day, and judges too stupid to figure that out always have another option available: they can quit.

Meanwhile, I'd go fist city with them all day, every day.  If these clowns can't do the job with less, then we can always get some more people in who can.

Idiots.

Updated: 2:53 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011 | Posted: 12:13 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011

Judges sue Grays Harbor County over budget cuts

The Associated Press

ABERDEEN, Wash. —

Grays Harbor County Superior Court judges have sued the county and its commissioners over funding, including recent court budget reductions.

The lawsuit seeks to overturn the budget cuts and force the county to build a new courtroom, provide more administrative staff and bolster security, The Daily World of Aberdeen (http://bit.ly/t9ofRQ) reported Saturday.

Thomas Fitzgerald, a special deputy prosecutor representing the county commissioners, told the paper he hadn't yet seen the complaint and therefore had no comment.

Superior Court Judge Dave Edwards said county commissioners left the judges no choice in filing the lawsuit.

The suit, filed Thursday in neighboring Thurston County Superior Court, alleges commissioners have improperly interfered with the management of the court, violating the state's constitution — including breaching separation of powers provisions.

The operating budget unanimously approved by county commissioners Dec. 5 reduces the budgets for superior court and the juvenile detention center.

The court's budget for 2012 was cut by $59,020, or about 8 percent, to $645,818. The budget for the juvenile detention center was cut by $313,052, leaving a budget of just more than $2 million.

"In the 10 years between 2002 and the commissioners' adopted 2012 budget, the commissioners reduced the total budget for the Superior Court by 5 percent," while the juvenile detention center has had its personnel reduced by nine people, or almost 30 percent of its staff over the past three years, according to the lawsuit.

"In contrast, during that same time period, the budgets for the executive department offices of the Sheriff and Prosecutor were increased by 21 percent and 34 percent, respectively," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit seeks an order that the county cannot interfere with personnel, administrative and operational decisions of the superior court of juvenile detention center.
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Information from: The Daily World, http://www.thedailyworld.com