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Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero urges stable court funding as vacancies persist
Summary
In her State of the Judiciary address, Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero urged the Legislature and governor to provide stable funding for California courts, described recent budget cuts and partial restores, and noted about 67 judicial vacancies statewide.
Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero told a joint session of the California State Senate and California State Assembly that the judicial branch needs stable funding to maintain public access to courts across all 58 counties. She said courts faced steep reductions last year — including roughly $97 million in trial-court cuts — and that partial restorations in the governor's proposed budget in January reduced the need for some furloughs and hiring freezes.
Guerrero said the branch “remains committed to working with the governor's administration and the legislature” as the budget act is finalized and urged legislators to remember that the courts’ mission is to resolve disputes and protect rights guaranteed by the state and federal constitutions. “We need funding to properly fulfill this solemn responsibility as a coequal branch of government,” she said.
Guerrero also provided an update on judicial staffing, saying the courts currently have about 67 judicial vacancies. She thanked Governor Gavin Newsom and his judicial appointment staff for their work, noting that Newsom has appointed 586 judges over his term, including 131 in 2024, “putting him on track to surpass prior administrations.”
The chief justice described the Judicial Council's efforts to improve resource allocation, including a weighted case-flow model the council will report on in April. She said preliminary data show rising case complexity — for example, case weights rising 54% for felonies and 95% for juvenile cases between 2017 and 2025 — and that the branch will continue to advocate for judgeships in counties with the greatest need, specifically naming San Bernardino and Riverside.
Ending: Guerrero closed by reiterating the branch's willingness to work collaboratively with the other branches of government to serve Californians and to seek funding that matches courts’ changing workloads. No formal votes or legislative actions occurred during the address.
