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Courts Start to Bear Brunt of Recession

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: From E-Newsletter of the National Certer for State Courts, Volume 2 #1 January 7, 2010.

The Daily Finance Web site provides a good overview of how the recession affects court caseloads nationwide (see Lita Epstein, "Courts in Crisis:  Recession Drives Caseloads Up, Budgets Down").  Here are a few, for lack of a better term, highlights:

·         Foreclosure filings in Florida are up 446 percent

·         Eviction cases have tripled in Arizona

·         The caseload in New York City's civil court reached 577,000 (it's usually around 200,000)

 

An article in the New York Times (December 27, 2009) shows how the recession, despite being "over," is just now having an impact on New York's courts (see William Glaberson, "The Recession Begins Flooding into the Courts").  Many new filings spring from recession-related problems, such as families splitting up and losing their homes and business partnerships gone sour.  Many cases of domestic violence are linked to financial woes, as well.

 

Here's how New York's chief judge, Jonathan Lippman, summed up the situation:  "Society's problems come to us.  We are the emergency room for society."

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on January 08, 2010 (boomark / email).