Surprise! It’s a Paid Day Off for Lucky Few : Proclamation: When President Bush designated today through Sunday as national days of thanksgiving for the end of the war, he set the wheels of confusion spinning.

It’s not quite a story of crime does pay, but justice will be delayed just a bit today by President Bush’s plan to honor Persian Gulf war veterans.

Today is also a surprise day off for some government workers. But no one will be blamed for a little confusion.

It all began when President Bush back in March proclaimed today through Sunday “national days of thanksgiving” for the swift end of the Persian Gulf War.

A national holiday was never intended, and neither federal nor state workers have the day off. About the only people affected are those with appointments in court.

For some reason, California law forbids most judicial business when the President declares a day of thanks. Court clerks can handle civil affairs such as marriage licenses, and juries can render verdicts, but no trials can be held.

Rumors swept government office corridors Thursday that today is a general holiday, prompting announcements from Gov. Pete Wilson, mayors and union leaders that indeed, no, today is a workday.

Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas sent a fax to the presiding judges of all California courts trying to clear up the confusion. The state codes for operating the government leave no leeway--it’s a judicial holiday, but no automatic day off. Courtroom activity must cease, but whether workers get a holiday is a local decision.

It was no snap judgment. Lucas cited an informal opinion from the attorney general’s office and “our internal research.” And he didn’t sound happy:

“We are reluctant, at this time of budgetary crisis and of congestion in the courts, to declare a judicial holiday. . . . Nonetheless (it) is in fact required by the relevant statutory provisions.”

In Southern California, Municipal Courts in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties will close and give employees a day off. Ventura County courts will remain open.

To follow the intent of the law, the state Court of Appeal in San Diego--the state’s busiest mid-level appellate court--will close its doors to the public, but all of the court’s employees will have to report to work as usual, said Stephen M. Kelly, clerk of the 4th District Court of Appeal.

Lucas did not authorize a paid holiday because of the strain it would place on the state budget, Kelly said. All appearances and judicial transactions have been pushed to Monday, he said.

Federal courts, meanwhile, will operate on a normal schedule, as will the U.S. Post Office, schools, banks and the stock exchange.

Judith McConnell, presiding judge of the San Diego Superior Court, said the last-minute scramble before the unplanned holiday has been a nightmare.

“We’ve rolled our (Friday) calendars over to Monday. Monday will be terrible,” she said. “I’ve had to answer about 100 phone calls from judges, lawyers and the press. They can’t figure out what the holiday is.”

Presiding Judge Ricardo A. Torres of Los Angeles Superior Court was blunt in an announcement to his employees: “Tomorrow is not an official holiday, and court employees will be at work.”

Orange County Superior Court employees who must staff the clerk’s office and other non-judicial functions will get a day off in return.

Supreme Court employees will report to work, but will close their doors to the public. It will be the same for most courts of appeal.

Heads-up employees of Burbank may be the biggest beneficiaries. They discovered that old wording in their labor contract granted them four new paid days off due to the President’s order.

City Manager Robert R. Ovrom dismissed the interpretation by the workers’ union as “hypertechnical” and “absurd.” But in negotiations more than 700 employees came up with two days off.

“I’m going to get paid for going skiing,” said Brett Kornblatt, a city park worker who has no plans of following the President’s suggestion of thankful prayer. “I think most people are going to use their spare time to enjoy themselves as opposed to observance of the troops.”

Most cities are like Cerritos. Denise Gerstner, the city personnel director, said she pored over documents after hearing about Burbank and determined there was no authority to call a day off.

“We only give public holidays off,” Gerstner said. “The President didn’t declare a holiday. He declared a national day of thanksgiving.”

Santa Monica and Culver City close on alternate Fridays as part of their plan to help cut smog by reducing commutes, so those city offices were scheduled to be closed anyway.

But all federal courts and offices will be open, and state offices other than courts as well.

“We will be open for business as usual,” said David J. Tirapelle, director of the state Department of Personnel Administration.