April 18, 2024
By Abigail Connelly
As of early April 2024, fourteen chief justices have delivered state of the judiciary speeches to their legislatures. These speeches, addressing achievements from 2023 and future goals and initiatives for the judiciary, echoed similar themes. Notably, the need for increased pay and staffing, modernization of technology, and measures to ensure access to justice were recurring topics.
Budget
Eleven chief justices mentioned a need for increased pay for judges, court personnel, and jurors. Chief Justice Christensen of Iowa called for increased funding to allow for competitive pay to employees and judges. Similarly, Chief Justice Stanfill of Maine mentioned NCSC’s salary statistics, praising past budget increases for judicial salary raises but noting that recent inflation has kept the state at a consistently low national ranking. State of the judiciary addresses in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho mentioned the need for budget increases. Increasing employee pay for judicial branch employees helps attract viable candidates for open positions and reduces turnover within state courts.
Access to Justice
Nine chief justices focused on access to justice in their state of the judiciary addresses. Chief Justice Boggs of Georgia referred to his 2022 State of the Judiciary address, noting that seven rural counties remain legal deserts. He underscored the urgent need to address barriers to access to justice, including the use of remote proceedings following the pandemic. Chief Justice Rush of Indiana referenced research from Indiana University to address the use of online courts to enhance access to justice for unrepresented litigants. Chief Justice Guerrero of California also identified shortages of certified court reporters as a threat to access to justice.
Ten chief justices addressed treatment courts, also known as problem-solving courts or specialty dockets. Chief Justice Luckert of Kansas mentioned expanding these efforts, with mental health, veteran, and family treatment courts opening across the state. Chief Justice Wilson of New York invited numerous project directors and graduates from treatment courts to this year’s address, referencing the impact of problem-solving courts and alternatives-to-incarceration courts on communities and court systems. State of the judiciary speeches in South Dakota and Missouri also mentioned treatment courts.
Technology and Security
Technology’s role in the courts was mentioned by nine chief justices, many of whom discussed the modernization of technology systems and the use of artificial intelligence. With a recent increase in concerns for safety within the judiciary, efforts to address security for judges and court website cybersecurity were discussed in the state of the judiciary speeches in Nebraska, Idaho, and Alaska. All three states called for upgrades in the protection of online records in case management systems. Kansas reflected on the impact of the October 12 ransomware attack, noting efforts to implement strong protections against cyberattacks.
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