LACBA Update Back Issues - April 2015

Please Join Us in the Effort to Secure Adequate Court Funding

LACBA leadership is continuing its long-term commitment to securing adequate court funding. We are launching this year’s effort to educate our lawmakers with the message below. We welcome your personal support and the continuing support of the many local bar organizations that worked with us last year.

Dear LACBA Member:

Despite recent incremental progress in funding our courts, California continues to experience a serious problem with access to justice. Many trial courts around the state have been forced to close their courthouses and lay off trial court employees. For example, Los Angeles has closed eight courthouses and lost 25% of its staff since the financial crisis began. Therefore, it remains critically important for our voices to be heard on the issue of adequate court funding.
 
If you want to help, the Los Angeles County Bar Association is going to make it very easy for you.
 
The annual California State budget process is under way. Knowledgeable participants agree that last year, the efforts of the Open Courts Coalition, state and local bar groups, and judges had a very positive impact with our elected representatives. Ultimately, after years of cuts, Governor Brown and the legislature produced a two-year budget that slightly increased funding for the courts. Because of the way budget politics unfold and the need to educate newly elected legislators, those gains must be protected and reinvestment in our court system re-established as a priority. We need to advocate for such reinvestment generally and for additional funds for specific court needs, such as the processing of applications generated by the recently enacted Proposition 47.

You can help protect court funding.
 
Below is a list of the 35 California State Senators and Assemblymembers based in the Los Angeles area. We are going to set up meetings with many of them in the coming two-to-three-month window before the final budget is adopted to promote awareness of the continuing court funding issue. These meetings will be coordinated with the Los Angeles Superior Court. Last year, at least one judge attended every meeting. Other bar organizations are welcome to join with us, as many did last year.

All you need to do is:

1. Please tell us if you know any of the legislators listed below.

2. Participate in meetings we will schedule at their offices in Los Angeles. Each meeting will likely be on a Friday and take about an hour.

3. Respond to this e-mail with a reference to Court Funding in the subject line to: jwesterman@jswlegal.com, with your contact information if you are willing to help us make a showing of support for the courts and maintain public access to justice.

Thank you.

Los Angeles County Bar Association:
Linda L. Curtis, President
Paul Kiesel, President-Elect
Margaret P. Stevens, Senior Vice President
Michael Lindsey, Vice President and Treasurer

Los Angeles County Bar Association Standing Committee on Court Funding:
Elizabeth Mann and Jeff Westerman, Co-Chairs

Litigation Section:
Roxanne Wilson, Chair
Kirk Dillman, Chair-Elect
Helen Zukin, Treasurer
David Rosen, Secretary
 

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATORS REPRESENTING LOS ANGELES COUNTY:
 
Senators
 
Ben Allen*
Democrat, Santa Monica/South Bay SD 26

Kevin de Leon
Democrat, East Los Angeles SD 24

Isadore Hall*
Democrat, Compton/Inglewood SD 35

Ed Hernandez
Democrat, East San Gabriel Valley SD 22

Bob Hertzberg*
Democrat, East San Fernando Valley SD 18

Bob Huff
Republican, Diamond Bar SD 29, also part of Orange and San Bernardino Counties

Ricardo Lara
Democrat, Long Beach/South Gate SD 33

Connie Leyva*
Democrat, Pomona, also Ontario SD 20

Carol Liu
Democrat, Glendale/Pasadena SD 25

Tony Mendoza*
Democrat, Montebello/Downey SD 32

Holly Mitchell
Democrat, West and Mid-Los Angeles SD 30

Janet Nguyen*
Republican, East Long Beach SD 34, most of district in Orange County

Fran Pavley
Democrat, West San Fernando Valley SD 27, also East Ventura County
 
Senate website http://senate.ca.gov/
 

Assemblymembers
 
Richard Bloom
Democrat, Santa Monica AD 50

Autumn Burke*
Democrat, Inglewood AD 62

Ian Calderon
Democrat, Whittier AD 57

Ling Ling Chang*
Republican, Diamond Bar AD 55, also part of San Bernardino and Orange Counties

Ed Chau
Democrat, Alhambra AD 49

Matt Dababneh
Democrat, East San Fernando Valley AD 45

Cristina Garcia
Democrat, Downey AD 58

Mike Gatto
Democrat, Glendale AD 43

Mike Gipson*
Democrat, Carson AD 64

Jimmy Gomez
Democrat, East Los Angeles AD 51

David Hadley*
Republican, South Bay AD 66

Roger Hernandez
Democrat, East San Gabriel Valley AD 48

Chris Holden
Democrat, Pasadena AD 41

Reginald Jones-Sawyer
Democrat, South Los Angeles AD 59

Tom Lackey*
Republican, Palmdale AD 36

Patty Lopez*
Democrat, East San Fernando Valley AD 39

Adrin Nazarian
Democrat, Central San Fernando Valley AD 46

Patrick O’Donnell*
Democrat, Long Beach AD 70

Anthony Rendon
Democrat, South Gate AD 63

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas
Democrat, Culver City AD 54

Freddie Rodriguez
Democrat, Pomona, also Ontario AD 52

Miguel Santiago*
Democrat, Central Los Angeles AD 53
 
Assembly website http://assembly.ca.gov/
 
* Newly elected in 2014