Overview

• Colorado’s courts are funded by the state and include district and county courts and the state’s probation function.  Colorado’s total state appropriation increased from $352 million in FY11 to $374 million in FY12.  The Judiciary will be increasing the number of judges, the number of staff persons and the amount spent on operating costs.
• Six million dollars was transferred from the Department of Corrections to the Judiciary to treat probation offenders and keep them out of prison. This transfer accounts for over $12 million of the increase from FY2011 to FY2012.
• To reduce spending, the Colorado courts have reduced hours of operations, delayed filling judicial and staff vacancies and vacancies in judicial support positions.  They have had to lay off staff and to reduce the use of retired judges.
• The above cuts have resulted in overall diminished public access to the courts. Primarily, staff cuts have reduced the Branch's ability to respond to pro se litigants and phone access to the courts has become limited.
• Colorado has frozen the salaries of judges and staff.  The lack of salary increases has impacted staff morale and just recently, the Branch has started to see high quality and experienced staff leaving the Branch for higher paying jobs.
• Technology initiatives include e-filing, an electronic document management system, e-payment of fees and fines and videoconferencing of hearings.  The majority of these initiatives were implemented prior to staff reductions so they have helped limit the overall negative impact of the staff layoffs and shorter hours at court locations.
• Colorado has worked to identify and implement best practices in two areas, in particular.  Colorado has had a high focus on establishing local delinquency and neglect best practice teams within each local district.  In addition, the implementation of Drug Courts in almost every district has resulted in better outcomes such as lower recidivism and lower costs to the State of Colorado through decreased incarceration rates.
• Colorado courts took large permanent budget reductions in FY2010. There has been limited court funding increases since then. Most of the budget increase has been on the probation side of the Colorado Judicial Branch as the State has pursued sentencing reform to reduce DOC commitments. The courts over the past two years have incurred staff reductions and operating budget cuts that have resulted in a decreased ability to respond proactively to the needs of Colorado's citizens.

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