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200 LA County court employees filled the steps of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Downtown LA on Wednesday, March 17. They came to dramatize the impact of layoffs and court closures on the families, children and crime victims who use the court every day.
Courts were closed because of budget cuts, but employees held signs reading “Families and Children Can’t Wait” that looked like take-a-number tickets.
Emily Martin (far right in photo), who scans documents for court records at the Mosk courthouse, was there with Bernadette Jaramillo and Jorge Becerra. They had been laid off the day before but were showing their support for other court employees.
“I don’t see how they’re going to be able to do their business,” said Becerra.
Jaramillo, who has a 16-year-old daughter, said she had started looking for work. “I have a court order for child support but because her father is out of work I can’t collect,” she said.
Martin wasn’t looking forward to going back to a courthouse where 10 of her co-workers lost their jobs. “It’s empty,” she said. “It’s just us and a pile of work.”
Legislature Needs to Act for Equal Justice
SEIU 721 members called on the Legislature to take action to prevent even deeper cuts to the courts planned for September.
“It doesn’t make sense to close courtrooms, shut down courthouses, and lay off employees on the one hand, and continue to spend a million dollars a day on a computer system,” said Court Reporter Arnella Sims. “We’re going to win our fight as long as we stay together.”