Sierra Madre : Court Savings Predicted

Transferring Sierra Madre from the jurisdiction of the Pasadena Municipal Court to the Santa Anita Municipal Court will save the city $8,805 annually, according to a report prepared by a Sierra Madre attorney.

John Sommer, a judge pro tem in East Los Angeles Municipal Court, spent three weeks researching the switch, proposed by Mayor George Maurer.

The savings amount to nearly the equivalent of eight weeks of full-time service by one Sierra Madre police officer, Sommer said. For those appearing in court to answer misdemeanor traffic and parking tickets and violations of Sierra Madre city ordinances, the savings amount to 1,300 hours annually, because waiting times are shorter in the smaller Santa Anita courthouse, Sommer said.

But Sommer said Sierra Madre Police Chief Bill Betts is concerned that Santa Anita does not handle felony cases. The City Council decided to meet with the chief before deciding on a transfer.