By Bill Britt
Alabama Politcal Reporter
MONTGOMERY—In a letter that called for shared sacrifice and fairness across all branches of Government, Chief Justice Roy S. Moore, called on Gov. Robert Bentley to release $12 million in Conditional Appropriation for the Alabama Unified Judicial System (UJS).
In his letter, Justice Moore reminded the Governor that last year while UJS collected approximately $61 million dollars dedicated to the General Fund for Executive Branch agencies—which received merit raises and promotions costing over $18—the court system did not receive a single merit raise or promotion.
“The Judicial Branch of Government does not mind suffering and doing our fair share during economic downturns,” wrote Moore, “however, there is no reason that our hard-working employees should suffer alone. We should not allow this injustice to continue.”
Since 2008, the employees of the court system have only received a merit pay raise once, but they have never obtained a single promotion due to a lack of funding. Both the Executive and Legislative branches have continued to receive pay raises and promotions, even in tough times.
“For the past several years, you have indicated that you would recommend our budget request to the Legislature; however, you have reduced our requested amount each year including monies intended for promotions and merit raises for deserving employees,” Justice Moore wrote to Gov. Bentley.
At a recent press conference clerks, district attorneys, probations officers, and employees that make up the Unified Judicial System, spoke out on low morale, departments being understaffed, the public not being served, and general fairness. These themes were a part of Justice Moore’s letter to the Governor.
At the press conference, Joseph L. Boohaker, presiding circuit judge for the Tenth Judicial Circuit said that the Justice system is a soft target in funding. Prisons and Medicaid are hard targets in funding, because if prisons are underfunded, the Federal government will take them over an ensure funding. Likewise, Medicaid, with its matching funds, will always receive its budget, because of the funds that flow into the State as a result of the Federal match. Judge Boohaker said this is why the courts are treated differently.
Justice Moore’s letter to Gov. Bentley pointed to the inequities within State Government, and asked that they be addressed with haste. He also pointed out the obvious writing, “The UJS is obviously not being regarded as a Branch of Government, and, in fact, is being treated worse than an agency.”
