CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

L.A. County Superior Court judges on Tuesday approved a plan to take voluntary pay cuts to help fill a budget shortfall in the county’s courts.

The plan received “overwhelmingly positive” support from the county’s judges, Presiding Judge Charles “Tim” McCoy said. Court officials had previously announced a plan to close courthouses and furlough employees one day a month, but judges were excluded because of a constitutional provision that protects them from receiving a pay cut during their term on the bench.

McCoy said he did not have an estimate on how much the voluntary pay reduction will save, but said it would be in the millions of dollars. The county’s courts are facing about a $90-million shortfall in the coming fiscal year, and are being slapped with an additional $55 million in cuts in the governor’s latest plan to close the state’s massive budget gap, the presiding judge said.

McCoy said court officials are still working out the details on how to absorb the additional cut in funding, but said they may be forced to take drastic measures.

-- Victoria Kim