ABSTRACT
The professional management of court budgets and the sufficiency of funds are essential to the branch discharging its constitutional responsibilities as well as to maintaining its independence vis-à-vis the other branches. The “great recession,” starting in 2007 and extending at least through 2012, challenged courts to protect core values and missions. Partly in response, courts adjusted practice and adopted innovations for improved efficiency and effectiveness. Accountability in the use of funds is essential to maintaining judicial branch independence. The development of a corps of professional court administrators, alternative blends of state and local funding of trial courts, and increased attention to performance are all important contributors to improved budget planning and expenditure practices in the courts. While the courts have been subject to budget reductions during periods of economic downturn, significant in some states, they, by and large, fared better in comparison to many other agencies of government.
