News

Court Blocks Quick Access to Financial Documents

We’re not asking for state secrets. Just records that will allow us to evaluate how efficiently the top judges and their administrators are performing their new function of running courthouse physical plants around the state. 

At a time when judicial leaders say they do not have enough funds to keep courthouses open every day and are planning layoffs, we think it is important to know if they are also wasting big bucks.

So, among other things, we have asked to see contracts with one of the building and maintenance companies they have hired to run the courthouses.

We’ve also asked to see the company’s bills.

Can there really be a question of entitlement here?

We’ll let you know when we find out at the end of March.

That’s when we’ll learn if the judges consider how they spend public money to be public business. 

–Ted Rohrlich