Newton Independent
Court offices across the state will be closed on Friday as part of the Judicial Branch's decision to order all judicial officers and court staff to take 10 days of unpaid leave during the remainder of the fiscal year in response to the state's revenue shortfalls.
Friday's court system closure is the first of three closing dates scheduled this month. Court offices will also be closed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Later this month, clerk of court offices throughout the state will have reduced hours of public operation. Jasper County's clerk of court offices will be closed to the public after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Dec. 15.
You can read the order here.
On Tuesday, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus issued a supervisory order that prioritizes how the Iowa court system will handle various classes of cases. In issuing the order, that gives top priority to emergency matters, Judge Ternus noted that the judicial branch workforce is now 11 percent below levels in April and 16 percent lower than it was in 2002.
"Although our judges and court staff will strive to keep cass moving, even the most productive person can only do so much in a day," Ternus wrote in the order. "Consequently, litigants and others who use the courts will experience long delays and cuts in services. These problems, although undesirable, are unavoidable."
You can read the case prioritization order here.
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