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Judge is concerned about court funding

Chief District Court Judge Kurt Wilke said Friday he’s concerned that a proposed state budget would cut money from the court system, leaving no money for Iowa’s specialty courts.

Wilke said that the judicial branch appropriates money for both Drug Treatment Court and Family Treatment Court, which helpes reunite parents with children that they have lost custody of.

But Gov. Terry Branstad’s proposed budget calls for cutting more than $7 million through June from the judicial branch.

“If we do that, we’re not going to be able to have these courts,” Wilke said.

While he understands that the state needs to cut money, Wilke said he believes cutting from the treatment courts will cause a greater financial burden for the state.

“I have 13 people in Drug Treatment Court right now,” he said. “If they weren’t in here, they would be in prison.”

Wilke said it costs $35,000 a year to house someone in prison.

By offering Drug Treatment Court alone, Wilke said the state is saving $455,000.

He highlighted Chase Behrends, the court’s most recent graduate, as an example of the court’s success.

“He comes in here like an all-star,” he said, adding that Behrends is now a productive member of society, paying taxes and making an honest living.

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