Judicial system limits clerk of court hours

The Plymouth County Clerk of Courts office will be closed several Fridays and have limited hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The closings come from Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Termus' order filed Friday.

Termus ordered that all Iowa courts and court offices -- including clerk of courts offices -- be closed on the following Fridays: March 20, April 10, April 24, May 8, May 22, June 5 and June 19. All court personnel except judges and magistrates will take unpaid leave on these dates Judges and magistrates will work in their chambers on the days the courts are closed, the order stated.

To help clerk of courts staffs to catch up on work backlogged due to those closings, Termus ordered that all clerk of district court offices be closed to the public from 2:30 p.m. until close on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That change will continue until the court orders otherwise, Termus stated.

"The Iowa Judicial Branch is experiencing unprecedented fiscal difficulties in light of the prospect of de-appropriation of funds previously approved by the Legislature for the current fiscal year," Termus stated in the order.

The Iowa House of Representatives approved a $3.8 million cut in the judicial branch's current budget. The measure has yet to be approved by the Senate.

"Although this number may change before the bill is finally approved...the court concludes it must undertake additional and severe cost-saving measures to address this potentially significant reduction," Termus said, pointing out that this immediate action is needed to coordinate scheduled hearings and trials.

Earlier, Termus ordered one unpaid leave day for the clerk of courts offices across Iowa and limited travel by judicial employees to help cut costs.