Laid-off court worker’s lifelong dream is shattered

Kathy Saucedo had already cleaned out her desk days before she was laid off.

Staff cuts at the El Monte courthouse, where she worked as a court services assistant, had been rumored for months. As one of the newest members of the staff she knew she was vulnerable. Saucedo decided she didn't want to do the walk of shame with her boxes in case she got the ax.

At 8 a.m. on March 16, her supervisor called her into a private meeting. Knowing what was coming didn't make it any easier.

"I was devastated," Saucedo said. "I know it's not their fault, and it's something that had to be done. But I still had that glimmer of hope."

Saucedo had dreamed of working in the court system since she was a kid, drawn by the articulate characters on TV shows such as "Law & Order." And when she interviewed an attorney for a high school English project, she was struck by his take-charge attitude.

Though she says she was too shy to be a lawyer, she excelled behind the scenes as a researcher and writer. And she craved the sense of stability that working for the government seemed to offer. So while working full time at a real estate office, she slogged through night classes to earn two associate degrees in paralegal studies in family and criminal law.

When she landed her job doing clerical work for the jury section of the Los Angeles County court system, it felt like "the ultimate" achievement, she said. Playing her part in the justice infrastructure and helping people navigate their way through tricky rules and procedures gave her a sense of accomplishment.

She started out at the downtown office, waking at 4:30 a.m. to catch the 6 a.m. bus to be sure she arrived before the 8 a.m. start time. In 21/2 years on the job, she said she was never late, never had a bad evaluation, never went on vacation and took just two days off, to attend weddings.

"That's what kills me the most, that I was so proud to work for the courts," said Saucedo, who eventually transferred to the El Monte courthouse. "It wasn't just a job for me. It was my life."

She has hunted for other clerical work with no success. The only nibble came from a recruiter seeking someone to work the phones for a collections agency, but it paid less than what she was receiving in unemployment.

Now she worries that her long layoff is making her look bad to potential employers. Many of her former co-workers who were laid off also have struggled to find work.

"I don't want to brag, but I was one of the good ones. But no one seems to want to give me a chance," she said. "It's like, what's wrong with me? What do I do when I have to wake up every morning with nowhere to go?"

Saucedo, who is single, has always lived with her parents; her father is retired and her mother works at a senior center. The extended family is extremely close.

That support network has been a lifeline. Saucedo's parents don't charge her rent but she used to pitch in for the phone bills, groceries and cleaning supplies. She's still doing what she can to help, but that doesn't come out to much.

She hasn't had to touch her savings yet. But for now she's unable to return her family's generosity.

Saucedo used to devote a good portion of her income to her niece, buying her school uniforms and supplies, even a laptop computer for Christmas. When the little girl found out that her Auntie Kathy had lost her job, she tried to give the machine back so that Saucedo could sell it or use it for online job hunting. Saucedo's eyes well up at the memory.

"I didn't have any worries before," she said. "Now, every day I'm scared. And what about the people who have children of their own, with house payments?"

tiffany.hsu@latimes.com