More than a dozen Los Angeles courtrooms will be shuttered when layoffs for court personnel start next month, reports the Los Angeles Times. Layoff notices for 329 employees are being sent out this week, said Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini. Both criminal and civil courtrooms are affected.
“The public and attorneys will immediately recognize that the court's capabilities have been dramatically reduced, and when I say immediately I mean immediately,” he said. “Even those just trying to pay a traffic ticket will be impacted.” Presiding Judge Charles “Tim” McCoy has said he may ultimately be forced to eliminate 1,800 jobs and close 180 courtrooms.