Kentucky state courts to shutter for three days to balance budget

July 29, 2012

Frankfort, Kentucky: Kentucky courts must close for three days in the 2013 fiscal year in order to balance their budget, and the first of those days is fast approaching. State courts in Kentucky will be closed on Monday, August 6th; Tuesday, September 4th; and Monday, October 15th. Elected officials will still be working, but all non-elected staff members will be off work without compensation.

This is the first time Kentucky courts have had to utilize furlough days in order to balance the budget since the modern court system was created in 1976. The courts that will be closed are the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Circuit Courts, the District Courts, the Offices of the Circuit Court Clerk, the Administrative Office of the Courts, "and all court services, including Pretrial Services, Drug Court, the Court Designated Worker Program, Court Interpreting Services, the State Law Library[,] and driver license branches." The furloughs have caused understandable displeasure, and have been cited in a recent news piece involving the allocation of $109,000 in funds to build an air-conditioner blocking fence at a court house.