Overview

• The Nevada court system is funded by both the state and the counties.  The state pays the salaries of the general jurisdiction judges.  Nevada’s state appropriation was reduced from $68.7 million in FY11 to $65.7 million in FY12.  Its FY11 budget was reduced during the fiscal year.  Nevada has been able to maintain the same number of judges and staff, but has had to decrease spending on operating expenses.
• Nevada’s FY12 budget includes funding for special initiatives, mostly related to technology.  These special funds are being used to enhance disaster recovery, upgrade existing software and applications, implement distance learning, and enhance trial court applications and systems support.     
• To reduce spending, Nevada has delayed filling vacancies in the clerks’ offices and in judicial support positions.  They have reduced the use of retired judges.  Nevada has frozen staff salaries and has furloughed staff, thereby reducing their total pay.  As a result, some responses to requests are delayed and courtrooms sometimes go dark because they cannot pay for senior judge coverage.  The Law Library will be closing for at least one day because they cannot operate safely while some staff are furloughed.       
• Technology initiatives being implemented include e-filing and an electronic document management system.  The electronic document management has allowed the Nevada courts to offer online case searches for Supreme Court cases. This has freed up staff time responding to requests for the information. Nevada is also using videoconferencing for some hearings. Videoconferencing hearings for the Supreme Court has improved access to the public for hearing some of the current high profile cases the Court has heard. Videoconferencing has largely benefited rural local courts’ budgets. For example, they can now have a crime lab expert from one of the urban areas testify without paying their travel costs.         
• Nevada has analyzed certain functions of positions and reallocated some parts, such as paperwork processing, to administrative assistants, freeing up analyst or attorney time for other work. They have cross-trained some clerk office positions, providing more back-up and a new way of looking at the work. They are collaborating more across units, divisions, and departments to get the work accomplished.  In addition, Nevada is analyzing the organization and structure of the Administrative Office of the Courts; additional changes may be made.

Reports and Articles

• Geoff Dornan. "Court Questioned About Salaries, Cuts." Lahontan Valley News. January 3, 2011.
• J. German. "Additional Judges Put Courtrooms in Bind." Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 1, 2011.

Gavel to Gavel

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