LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A larger-than-expected state deficit and the governor’s May budget revision are hitting courts across the state and here in Lake County, as budgets are reworked and projects reconsidered or pushed back.

On May 17, the Judicial Council of California held an emergency session to meet with California Director of Finance Ana Matosantos about Gov. Jerry Brown’s new budget proposal, which called for a $544 million reduction to the judicial branch in fiscal year 2012-13 after four consecutive years of cuts totaling $653 million.

In order to cover the cuts, the courts must pull $300 million from trial court reserves, while $240 million would be realized from delays in court construction. Another $4 million will come from increased retirement contributions from state court employees.

Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who chairs of the Judicial Council, called the proposed cuts “startling, harsh, immediate and shocking.”

With the state facing a nearly $16 billion deficit, Matosantos told the Judicial Council, “We see that the trial courts have substantial reserves that we think are available to help us achieve some general fund savings while also being able to protect court operations.”

At that same meeting, it was announced that the Administrative Office of the Courts will see a workforce reduction of 180 employees by the end of June.

Those cuts at the state level mean changes for Lake County’s courts.

“Due to budget cuts we are doing some restructuring,” said Lake County Superior Court  Executive Officer Mary Smith.

A formal announcement on the full scope of those changes will be made during the second week of June, Smith said.

Asked if those changes involved cutting services or closing any local court facilities, Smith replied, “There will be different services.”

She added, “We’re still waiting for the budget to settle.”

The local courts have already seen significant budget cuts over the last several years, which have resulted in the elimination of 11 full-time positions, three full-time unfilled positions, furloughs, reduced service hours, restructured court calendars and efforts to reduce operating expenses, according to a rundown of cuts across the state posted by Administrative Office of the Courts.

Smith and court staff met with Administrative Office of the Court officials last week, at which time they were told that the new Lakeport courthouse project would be delayed a year.

Originally the nearly $56 million project – to be built at 675 Lakeport Blvd. – was scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2014, the state reported.

Still, the project – ruled a priority due to safety concerns – was one of 24 projects worth a total of $3.2 billion the Administrative Office of the Courts determined last month would move forward while making cuts to construction costs where feasible.

The courthouse projects are funded by Senate Bill 1407, enacted in 2008. The legislation authorizes up to $5 billion from court fees, penalties and assessments rather than taxpayer revenues from the state’s general fund.

The state has taken $1.1 billion of that funding and redirected it to court operations or swept it into the general fund since 2009.

Lakeport’s courthouse project must cut hard construction costs by a minimum of 3 percent, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

“That’s something we’re working on,” Smith said. “We’ve met with architects."

She said the local court is trying to determine the best ways to make the cuts without compromising the project.

“We don't want to make short term decisions that we'll suffer with later,” she said.

John Jensen contributed to this report.

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