The California state budget for fiscal year 2013-14, which begins on July 1, allocates $3.1 billion, or 2.1% of the state’s overall budget, to the judicial branch.

Supreme Court	$44 million
Courts of Appeal	$207.3 million
Trial Courts	$2,466.9 million
Judicial Council/AOC	$150.8 million
Judicial Branch Facility Program	$263.1 million
Habeas Corpus Resource Center	$13.7 million
Total Branch Budget	$3,145.8 million

The California judicial branch has been cut by about $1 billion in state General Fund support over the last several years. Over the same period, an additional $1.7 billion has been swept, borrowed, or redirected from court construction funds.

The final judicial branch budget represents a modest improvement over the proposed budget released in January, which contained a slightly higher level of ongoing reductions to the court system. Courts must continue to cope with significant cuts in the coming fiscal year.





Key Provisions Contained in the State Budget

The 2013–14 state budget also includes key provisions regarding audits, cash flow, and trial court efficiencies. Some of these provisions and requirements include:
 

• Courts must detail their plans to the Legislature for using their new allocations to improve public access to justice.
• Courts must spend down their reserves by June 30, 2014 to 1 percent of their expenditures. However, courts will have greater flexibility than was originally proposed, and will be able to borrow short term from other branch funds, such as workers’ compensation and construction funds, to manage cash-flow issues.
• Courts in need will receive a total of 16 new judges statewide through a conversion of subordinate judicial officer positions.
• Court construction funds will shore up court operations—$200 million will be transferred this year. 
• The Long Beach courthouse will be paid for out of court construction funds, not the General Fund.The actions related to court construction funds mean that a total of 22 courthouse projects will be delayed–either for the entire fiscal year, or indefinitely.
  

During the upcoming fiscal year, the judicial branch will continue to advocate for a reinvestment in our justice system—a budget adequate to provide equal access to justice for all Californians.