BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
2763 (Feuer)
Hearing Date: 08/12/2010 Amended: As proposed to be
amended
Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-HernandezPolicy Vote: Judiciary 3-1
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 2763 authorizes the Judicial Council to convert
up to an additional 10 subordinate judicial officer (SJO)
positions to judgeships each year, upon vacancy, if the
conversion of these additional positions will result in a judge
being assigned to a family or juvenile law assignment previously
presided over by an SJO. This bill also would require the
Judicial Council to provide the Legislature with a special
assessment of the need for new judgeships in the family and
juvenile law assignments for each superior court and a report on
the effectiveness of the additional conversions.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Fund
Up to 10 SJO conversions up to $310 up to $620
up to $930 General*
Reports to Legislature
Minor and absorbable General*
*Trial Courts Trust Fund; annual cost pressure.
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STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE.
This bill seeks to ensure that a greater number of family and
juvenile law cases are presided over by judges, rather than
SJOs. Under existing law, up to 16 vacant SJO positions, as
specified, can be converted into judgeships. Functionally, the
money that paid the salary of an SJO position which is vacant
could be used toward a new judge's salary (which is
approximately $31,000 more than an SJO salary).
Similar to the conversions authorized under existing law, this
bill would authorize up to 10 additional SJO conversions only in
those superior courts selected pursuant to specified uniform
criteria for determining the need for additional superior court
judges. Further, an eligible court would only be entitled to
the judgeship if the conversion will result in a judge being
assigned to a family or juvenile law assignment previously
presided over by an SJO. By allowing up to 10 new conversions,
this bill could result in new annual state cost pressure of up
to $310,000 each year, since the bill allows for up to 10 new
conversions annually (added to the previous year's number). The
Judicial Council has indicated that this $310,000 cost could be
absorbed within existing resources of the Trial Courts Trust
Fund.
This bill requires Judicial Council to submit specified reports
to the Legislature. This workload will be minor and absorbable
within existing Council staff and resources.
The author's proposed amendments would specify that additional
SJO conversions are permitted only to the extent that the
conversions may be accomplished within existing resources.