Iowa chief justice predicts delays, cuts in service

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus has given court employees guidance on which cases they should prioritize in light of budget cuts and work force reductions throughout the judicial branch.

The situation has reached a “tipping point” where work exceeds the personnel available to do it in a reasonably timely manner, Ternus said. The judicial branch work force is 16 percent smaller than it was in 2002, while the workload remains relatively unchanged. Court employees also have been ordered to take 10 unpaid days off to save money.

Ternus warned that litigants who use the courts will experience long delays and cuts in services.

Emergency court matters, expected to take the highest priority, include criminal warrants, injunctive relief involving an imminent threat of serious harm to health or safety, waivers of parental notification of abortion, emergency removal orders in juvenile cases, and mental health, substance abuse and relief from domestic abuse cases.

Other priority cases, based on the facts and circumstances of the cases, include civil commitment; domestic abuse cases; juvenile cases; cases involving child custody, physical care, visitation and child support; criminal cases, especially when defendants demand a speedy trial; guardianship cases; and other cases involving a threat of serious harm to health or safety.