6 Workers Sought for Child-Support Cases

The clerk of Ventura County Superior and Municipal courts and the district attorney will ask the Board of Supervisors today to approve hiring up to six people, including a court commissioner, to help process a huge load of child-support cases.

Courts Executive Officer Sheila Gonzalez and Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury said they need the commissioner, one judicial assistant, three court assistants and a deputy sheriff to process more than 21,000 cases this year, a 105% increase from two years ago.

The request comes at a time when the county is facing a $16-million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Gonzalez and Bradbury said state and federal funds will cover the bulk of the costs.

But Ventura County would be obligated for up to $125,000 for the positions.

Both administrators said the positions are needed because the child-support division is likely to lose its exemption from state and federal mandates that require 90% of cases to be closed within three months.

The provisions also call for 98% of the cases to be closed within six months and all of the cases to be completed within one year from the date they are filed.

“The increasing number of cases cannot be handled with existing court resources in the timeframes mandated by federal regulations and state statutes,” a report to the supervisors states.

Early last year, the district attorney’s office received permission to hire 100 new clerks to handle child-support cases.

But Gonzalez said her office was never provided extra staff to process the accompanying caseload.