Family Law Breakfast: Judge Mark Anthony Scott Discusses Judicial Budget Pressures at January Meeting

by Louis Tessler

January’s Family Law Breakfast featured DeKalb Superior Court Chief Judge Mark Anthony Scott as speaker. He focused largely on the immediate future of the Court.

Judge Scott discussed the possibility of budget cuts. Noting that there is a great deficit in the state government and local government, pressure has been mounting to make severe cuts in the judiciary. Judge Scott opined that extreme cuts would be serious error: Tough economic times cause an increase – not a decrease – in crime and conflicts in the community, and the judiciary is the civilized resort for resolving disputes. Reducing resources going to civilized dispute resolution in a time of increased disputes will have predictable, unfortunate results.

In addition, Judge Scott pointed out that, as a budgetary matter, the judiciary is a very small share of the state’s budget. Georgia spends a relatively small amount funding its judiciary, he observed, and areas that receive a disproportionately large sum of the budget might be more logical choices for cuts.

Judge Scott asked for our patience: it will be difficult to expand services and to put ideas into effect while budgets are frozen or possibly cut. But the judge promised us that he is listening and looking to do what he can to strengthen the Court despite these severe financial restraints.

The Family Law Section breakfast meetings are held the first Thursday of every month in the Harrison Room at the historic Old Courthouse in downtown Decatur.