WHAT!!! We were running our courts with foreclosure fees??

From the Times Union

by Paul Pinkham

Florida's court system apparently has averted a shutdown this morning with word from Gov. Rick Scott's office that he is approving the amount necessary to keep the courts running through the end of the budget year June 30.

According to an e-mail sent this morning by the state courts administrator to chief judges around the state, Scott's general counsel confirmed to Chief Justice Charles Canaday that an approval letter would be forthcoming from the governor's office later today.

Some court staffers were warned in a memo Tuesday that the courts could be closed for up to three weeks in April and May because of a $50 million shortfall needed to keep the system running.

Chief Circuit Judge Donald Moran of Jacksonville said the courts were looking at shuttering for four days in April and 10 days in May. Only essential functions like first appearance court for criminal defendants and dependency court for abused and neglected children would continue, he said.

Moran said the crisis was brought on by a slowdown in foreclosure filings, fees from which the Legislature decided last year to use to fund the court system. He said the House and Senate agreed this session to loan the courts $72 million to keep operating then appropriate enough to pay back the loan next year, but Scott initially agreed to only $14 million.

According to the state courts administrator e-mail obtained by The Gavel, Scott will approve today the amount necessary to keep the courts operating through May, and June will be covered through a supplemental appropriation.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/422234/paul-pinkham/2011-04-06/floridas-court-crisis-averted-gov-rick-scott