Posted on 04/03/2015 10:05:56 PM PDT by Ken H
Decline in speeding ticket revenue throughout Nevada threatens the state judicial budget.
Nevada courts are out of cash because police are not writing enough speeding tickets. State Supreme Court Chief Justice James W. Hardesty sounded the warning before the state Joint Subcommittee on General Government on March 11, telling lawmakers that the coffers are running dry at an alarming rate.
"We thought the decline would be about three or so percent," Justice Hardesty explained. "We budgeted for a five percent decline in the budget that the governor recommended. We now believe based on the numbers we're seeing that the decline will actually be ten percent. This is a serious problem, not only for the Supreme Court's budget, but also for those budgets in the state general fund that are supported by administrative assessments."
In 2010, 615,267 traffic and parking tickets were issued statewide. This dropped to just 484,913 last year. The 21 percent reduction in revenue is hitting the courts hard.
"We probably will be close to 400,000 in 2015," Justice Hardesty told committee members. "I mean this is the concern that all of us together, senator, need to address.... With all due respect to the citizens of Nevada, I don't think anyone is driving better. I think the truth is, we're seeing less traffic violations because law enforcement's priorities have changed dramatically."
The judicial branch spends $51 million each year to operate, with all but $20 million coming from the state general fund. Roughly the same amount, $21 million, pays the salaries of the state's justices and judges. The chief justice believes paying judges out of traffic fines is the wrong way to fund the courts.
"The Supreme Court is the one who's encouraging people to violate the law so we have enough money to operate," Justice Hardesty observed. "That seems like an oxymoron. I would urge the legislature to give serious consideration to changing the manner by which the Supreme Court is funded."
The chief justice told lawmakers that it was their constitutional duty to fund the courts and that the $1.4 million budgetary shortfall should be paid from the general fund, instead of encouraging more ticket-writing statewide.
"If this issue is not addressed before May 1, the court will not have sufficient cash to operate," Justice Hardesty warned. "Do you want me to close the judicial branch of government at the state level on May 1? ...If we don't fix this problem, the Supreme Court will be broke in the next biennium."
“What if people just started driving the normal speed? Wouldn’t the whole court system have to shut down within a year?”
Don’t worry. There are PLENTY of other laws that would make up for the shortfall.
Either that, or just ‘say’ you were speeding and issue a ticket.
To answer your question, they make new laws. You have to have your turn signal on 100 feet on small intersections, 300 feet on main arteries. Always something to pick our pockets. Also, you have to stop at a light and make sure your car doesn’t hang over the white line, or you are fined for that.
They hold speed traps just after you pass the California/Nevada line. Beware, Californians. The speed limit goes down on the Nevada side.
And if we see a sudden increase in tickets, we know they are trying to raise funds, not improve safety. This may already be occurring. Two days ago, here in Reno, I came upon two officers with an elaborate speed trap set up on a street where I have never seen them before.
” The 21 percent reduction in revenue is hitting the courts hard.”
Simple solution - cut judicial pay by 21% and increase working hours. If the fat-ass black-robes quit, get the telephone book out and a set of darts to find replacements.
Bwahahahahahhaaaaaqaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Just as I’ve always said: Police are more about revenue enhancement than public safety.
Maybe if they would go after the people who do stupid, dangerous stuff they would get the revenue they need. Lord knows, there are plenty of them out there.
But no, they take the lazy way out by going for the low hanging fruit, sitting beside the road waiting to snag speeders.
That way they can munch donuts and surf for porn waiting for their radar to start beeping.
Easy solution, lower the speed limit. Go back to the good ole days when EVERYONE was a speeder and ANYONE could get pulled over - either for speeding, or driving the speed limit and thus obstructing the (speeding) traffic.
Maybe Hardesty should get in touch with Father Guido Sarducci, and get him to do his “paying for your sins” bit.
They also make and use these type of laws so they have an excuse to stop you and check for drugs. If they don’t find any drugs (after they tear apart your vehicle) then they give you a warning for the “great threat to public safety”, I.e., not giving a turn signal on a deserted street. As one poster said, “There are so many laws they can make a criminal out of everyone”. It just depends on how selectively they enforce these “laws”.
Yep, cut everyone's salary in the entire court system about 40 percent so they can catch up with middle America private sector.
Let them learn what it is to be downsized and sold out.
County, state, feds, all of them.
And cut all their benefits too, make these special people apply for Obamacare.
AMEN. This is now what is considered “thinking outside the box.” Not putting you down, I’m putting down the liberal bureaucrats who think people can’t pee without them.
How on earth will you all function without all of us? You can’t get rid of any of us?!?! By law you must fund us, and give us raises.
Talk about vanity. I think these are the douches Carly wrote the song for.
No I am sure their solution will be putting in speed cameras and lowering the yellow light periods.
A computerized govt revenue generator on every corner! - new slogan
The judges are almost certainly not working a full 8 hour day five days a week.
We are lucky here if they come in at 9, have a 1 hour lunch, and leave around 3:30. Four days a week.
They aren’t breaking any records for work ethic for their big fat public-funded paychecks.
And start replacing those in the courts with low wage HB1 visa types and the newly legalized illegal aliens.
They’ve replaced millions of middle Americas jobs and industries, so might as well put them in the courts,and let um work for dirt cheap.
Those not replaced in the government court systems like private sector America has endured, cut their GD wages, pensions and benefits substantially.
Some might not understand, but most of these government workers in the courts, including the judges, are some of the most arrogant, condescending people to walk this planet.
Half the time their at their private country club golf courses, distancing themselves from all us riffraff.
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