Hundreds Protest Proposal to Close Eight LA Courthouses
Hundreds rallied in the streets of downtown Los Angeles Thursday to protest the proposed closure of eight L.A. County courthouses.
The demonstration was led by the Save Our Courts Coalition, a group of more than 70 organizations including SEIU Local 721 and ACLU Southern California.
"We're going to do everything we can to stop these closures because, if the judges have their way, we're the ones who will be left behind," said SEIU Local 721 President Bob Schoonover in a statement.
"Our neighbors and family members will be taking five-hour bus rides across the county just to have their day in court. That's just not fair."
The Los Angeles Superior Court's original plan, announced in November, called for the closure of ten courts. Court officials said state budget cuts gave them no choice but to cut court services, shut down courthouses and lay off court employees.
Mary Hearn, a court spokeswoman, cited budget shortfalls of up to $85 million as a motivating factor behind their proposal to close courthouses.
However, protesters from the Save Our Courts Coalition said this could "devastate community members," especially low-income residents and people with disabilities who find it more difficult to travel long distances to different court locations.
"The closures will mean longer lines, inconvenience to the elderly, to those who need to attend court on conservatorship issues, tenant landlord issues," said Arnella Sims, a court reporter who has worked in the L.A. County court system for 37 years.
"It means standing in long lines with only a few windows open in courthouses."
Thursday's rally featured a mock trial in outside Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Hill Street. Boos and hisses rang out from the crowd who spoke out against the proposed closures and carried signs that read, "Jobs Not Cuts."
The eight courts named in the proposal are Huntington Park, Whittier, Pomona North, Malibu, West Los Angeles, San Pedro, Beacon Street and Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center.
