Philadelphia Courts Lose 92 Jobs; Layoffs Coming?

Philadelphia’s courts have already slashed $4.3 million from their budget, leaving vacant 92 jobs, and reducing the weekly number of prospective jurors.

Now the city’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board is advising Mayor Michael Nutter that further spending cuts would be too harmful to the city’s justice system.

The mayor’s current plan would force the city’s courtrooms to shut down for 15 days in 2010, and result in the loss of several dozen prosecutors’ jobs.

The cut in the prosecutors’ budget is a 22% decrease from the $32 million the office was supposed to get in the new budget, before the national financial crisis forced Philadelphia and cities nationwide to further cut spending.

Philadelphia’s court system is facing a 14% decrease, from this year’s $115 million to $99 million next year.