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05-13-2003a

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 6 months ago

May 13, 2003

ROMNEY CALLS FOR AN END TO JUDICIAL INEQUITY AND WASTE

Highlights disparities between Boston Municipal Court and other district courts

 

WORCESTER – Standing outside of the Worcester District Courthouse, Governor Mitt Romney today called on the Legislature to end the duplication and waste within the judicial system by merging the Boston Municipal Court into the statewide district court system.

 

“Right now we have a funding mechanism for the district courts that splits the Commonwealth into two – the Boston Municipal Court and the remaining district courts in the state – and the Boston Municipal Court receives vastly more resources than the other district courts,” said Romney.

 

Under the current system, Boston is the only municipality with its own separate court system while the rest of the state is serviced by the district court system. The Boston Municipal Court’s administrative costs rival those of the entire state district court system with 177 judges and more than 60 courthouses, even though it only has 11 judges and one courthouse.

 

Romney said the House-passed budget goes in the wrong direction by proposing to expand the jurisdiction of the Boston Municipal Court and the Senate Ways and Means Committee budget is expected to avoid the issue by calling for a study.

 

“While I applaud the Legislature for recognizing the need to reform our court system, I urge them to take a closer look at merging the Boston Municipal Court with the rest of the district court system. It makes sense and it saves millions of dollars. It is time for action, not more studies,” Romney said.

 

Romney highlighted the severe inequities in Worcester County, pointing to a report on Case Based Funding by the Worcester County Bar Association. The report indicates that the Worcester District Court handles 41,107 cases with a budget of roughly $4 million, averaging $98.96 per case. The BMC handles 36,568 cases with a budget of roughly $5 million, averaging $231.47 per case.

 

“Worcester and other communities are getting shortchanged when it comes to the administration of justice,” Romney said. “That is wrong.”

 

The report also noted that the amount per case allocated to the district courts in Worcester County was more than 13 percent below the statewide average.

 

“Clearly, it is time for us to have a uniform and equitable system of justice for all of the Commonwealth’s residents,” said Romney.

 

In his Fiscal Year 2004 budget, Romney called for merging the BMC into the statewide district court system. This merger would allocate a more equitable distribution of funds and save about $4 million. He also proposed consolidating eight underutilized courthouses, including Ipswich, Charlestown, Natick, Orange, Clinton, Ware, Uxbridge and Winchendon, which are each open and staffed five days a week even though their caseload can only keep a judge busy between one to three days a week.

 

Romney added, “Our judicial system is in desperate need of overhaul and restructuring. These common sense changes are the first steps in that process.”

 

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