With Los Angeles County Superior Courts closed one day each month, the court announced a new effort to support court employees during the economic crisis. The Contributions for Access and Retention of Employees program will partly repay court employees affected by the closures.
The CARE program is 100% funded by voluntary contributions from LA Superior Court judges. The vast majority of LA Superior Court judges have participated in the program, according to the Daily Journal.
Court employees and SEIU 721 leaders thanked Presiding Judge Charles McCoy and court management in a letter.
“Judges and court staff are a team working together to deliver the highest-quality service to the public. Every day business, families and public safety depend on the courts for fast, efficient justice. We work in California’s busiest courts, and when they close the public suffers,” the letter stated. “The CARE fund is a symbol of our shared commitment to equal justice for all Californians. We pledge to work together with LA County’s judges and other court employees to reopen our courts and serve the public proudly every day.”