Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Bevan brought an upbeat, but also sobering, message to the legislature last week.
Bevan told the House of Representatives that the state’s judicial system is, on the whole, working well. It is evolving in its use of technology to efficiently handle a growing workload and protect the information stored in the court’s computer systems. But he says the state funding for the courts isn’t enough to keep up with its costs, especially in the technology area.
“I ask that you please give this funding your full support. It will make the difference in what services we keep available to your constituent. For these systems are not nice bonuses. They are not bells and whistles. They are what technologically running a third branch of government requires and what the public expects from a modern court system," he said.
Bevan said Idaho’s judiciary is losing good judges and court employees. He cited the case of a respected district court judge in southern Idaho who resigned last November and urged the legislature to increase pay for judges.
“For an experienced attorney in their prime, service as a judge comes with a significant financial sacrifice by way of a pay cut and judges are never off the clock," he said. "A judge must limit friendships and the job includes a growing amount of harassment and threats directed not just at the judge but at her family and children. Former Judge Mallard said her husband would sleep with a gun by the bed following certain cases. No one should have to do this as a result of public service.”
Bevan said Idaho’s judges and court employees have, so far, avoided violent attacks, as have been carried out against judicial employees in other states. But he worries Idaho could be next.
