Sickout Shuts Most L.A. Courts

Most Los Angeles County courts were forced to close today as deputy district attorneys, public defenders, court reporters and clerks staged a sickout to protest stalled contract talks, officials said.

Perhaps 200 or more of the 278 Superior Court courtrooms countywide “will have to go dark and shut down” because of the sickout, which kept more than 90% of 330 court reporters and about 55% of the 320 clerks at home, said Frank S. Zolin, county clerk and court executive officer. A “significant number” of deputy district attorneys also stayed home to protest the county’s proposed pay offer and cuts in sick leave and vacation, said Al Albergate, a spokesman for Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner.