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Cady touts Iowa’s effective court system

Chief justice: Iowa Legislature not providing enough money

DES MOINES — The head of Iowa’s court system says the Legislature is not providing enough money to sustain effective court programs that have been implemented in recent years.

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady made the remarks Wednesday to lawmakers, one day after Gov. Terry Branstad directed Iowa’s judicial branch to cut more than $7 million from its roughly $181 million budget to plug a shortfall.

A judicial spokesman says Cady’s remarks were prepared before his office was given Branstad’s recommendations.

“The way ahead may be hindered by limited resources, but the will of Iowans for a fair and impartial justice system that meets their needs could not be stronger,” Cady, a Fort Dodge resident, said during his Condition of the Judiciary Address Wednesday morning to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.

“So now is not the time to minimize expectations for the future, but to build upon them,” he added. “It is the time to build the future with an investment that affirms the work of the judicial branch and affirms the lives of families, children, business owners, employees and all Iowans. It is the time to build a future united by one will to achieve success for all.”

Cady said the state has saved millions of dollars by investing in family treatment courts that handle parental rights questions and programs that keep youth out of the adult court and prison system.

He said new juvenile programs have kept 329 fewer young adults out of prison at a savings to the state of more than $11 million.

According to Cady, early intervention by juvenile court officers has saved taxpayers $5.8 million.

“The services provided by our family treatment courts can avoid an additional $4.9 million in costs per year to the state’s general fund,” he said.

Cady said an effective court system contributes to the state’s economic development.

“A fair and efficient court system gives businesses confidence to invest and to provide for the well-being of their employees,” he said. “Today, your Iowa civil justice system is recognized by businesses across the country to be one of the very best in the nation.”

According to the chief justice, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranks Iowa’s court system as the fourth best in the country. He added that the Chamber of Commerce gives Iowa “consistently high rankings in the categories of judges’ impartiality and competence.”

His office is seeking about $191 million for the budget year that begins in July.

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