Unified Court Plan Blocked

Los Angeles Superior Court judges voted against unifying the county’s 25 trial courts, which supporters say would have eliminated a separate Municipal Court system and saved taxpayers several million dollars a year.

The 167-66 vote, taken over a month and tabulated by the Judicial Council of California, means that the county’s Municipal Court system will continue to operate independently.

Superior Courts in Los Angeles County are responsible for handling felony crimes and civil cases involving more than $10,000. Municipal Courts generally handle lesser crimes and arraignments.

Municipal judges would have been promoted to Superior Court judges--”a big step up,” said Superior Court Presiding Judge Victor E. Chavez.

Supporters of the consolidation had argued that a single court system would require fewer employees and facilities. Philip K. Mautino, chairman of the Presiding Judges Assn. for Los Angeles County Municipal Courts, said the outcome hurts Municipal Courts by confining proceedings to “older buildings that aren’t good for security arrangements.”

Municipal Court judges voted in favor of consolidation in a separate election. The San Francisco-based Judicial Council has not released a final tally, but Mautino said more than 95% of municipal judges voted for the measure, which included an estimated 10% raise.

Los Angeles and Kern counties are the only two of the state’s 58 counties to vote against unification of superior and municipal courts.

A year ago, voters passed Proposition 220, which allows judges to vote on whether to unify their courts. The law requires that a majority of judges in both courts approve the change.

“Our judges are worried about the consequences,” Chavez said.

Unifying the courts, he said, could dilute the Voters Rights Act because it would force locally elected municipal judges to run in countywide elections.

Superior Court judges, Chavez said, worried about the possibility of the county being sued, for example, by a Latino judge who lost a countywide race after being forced out of a Municipal Court district where he had strong support.

Mautino said scholarly reports by legal organizations contend that the success of a lawsuit under those circumstances would be remote.

“We don’t think these are substantive issues,” said Mautino. Latino, African American and Asian American judges, he said, could win countywide elections.

“Although we’d rather not give up control” of districts, Mautino said, “the municipal judges decided it was in the best interests of the public and the state to back unification.”

As it stands, Municipal Court judges earn about 10% less than the average $110,000 annual salary earned by Superior Court judges. Superior Court judges also receive larger pensions.

Mautino said money isn’t the issue.

“We have immense security problems,” he said. “We have weapons problems. It’s incumbent on us to have safe facilities for the jurors and for the public that comes to court.”