(New York Times) — Extensive budget cutbacks being rolled out in New York State’s courts are expected to add new delays to practically every facet of the judicial process, from the moment a suspect is brought in to be charged until the case is heard in court, and onward into appeals. The hours of special weekend arraignment courts in New York City will be reduced by nearly half, prompting fears that some suspects will have to be released if they are not brought before a judge within 24 hours, as required by law. The cutbacks, which also apply to civil courts, are being felt throughout the state, the result of a comparatively lean $132.5 billion budget that has affected areas including education, health care and prisons. In the courts, $170 million has been pared from the judicial budget of more than $2 billion, affecting a system that is already overburdened with a huge caseload. Even a special program meant to reduce the backlog by hiring retired judges to hear thousands of cases will largely cease to exist.
