Judicial agencies have now submitted their requests for the 2027–29 operating budget. They include some major new spending proposals, and they offer no savings options. The judicial agencies are the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Commission on Judicial Conduct, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Office of Public Defense, and the Office of Civil Legal Aid.

(The numbers in this post are largely in addition to the figures in my overview of agency requests; the only judicial agency that had submitted a request at that time was the Commission on Judicial Conduct.)

Together, the judicial agencies have requested $805.8 million from the general fund–state (GFS) for 2027–29, an increase of $183.0 million (29.4%) over enacted appropriations for 2025–27. The total carry-forward level for the agencies is $600.6 million. Maintenance level changes add $49.6 million and new policy adds $155.5 million. (Note, however, that the maintenance level changes include some significant items that should be classified as new policy.)

Of the increase, $120.6 million would be for the Office of Public Defense. If funded by the Legislature, this would increase the budget for the Office of Public Defense by 71.6%. The request includes:

• $87.8 million in 2027–29 and $87.8 million in 2029–31 for grants to local governments for trial-level criminal public defense. According to the request, the carryforward level includes $6.865 million a year for these grants, which covers “about 5 percent of total costs.” (The cost of public defense is largely borne by local governments.) The requested funding would bring the state contribution to about 20% of costs. The request also notes that this funding would help implement mandatory caseload standards that were revised by the state Supreme Court last year.
• $11.4 million in 2027–29 and $18.5 million in 2029–31 to implement the revised mandatory caseload standards for “contracted attorneys who represent indigent parents in dependency and termination of parental rights cases.” (This is classified by the agency as a maintenance level change.)
• $10.1 million in 2027–29 and $10.1 million in 2029–31 to restore funding for the Simple Possession Advocacy and Representation Program that was cut in the 2025–27 budget. (This is classified by the agency as a maintenance level change.)

The Office of Civil Legal Aid is requesting a 20.1% increase in funding, including:

• $10.4 million in 2027–29 and $10.4 million in 2029–31 for legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant children.
• $8.2 million in 2027–29 and $8.2 million in 2029–31 for the Appointed Counsel for Indigent Tenants Program.
• $3.6 million in 2027–29 and $5.6 million in 2029–31 to fund the new caseload standards for the Children’s Representation Program.

Finally, the Administrative Office of the Courts requests $10.0 million in 2027–29 and $10.0 million in 2029–31 to restore funds (cut in 2025–27) for early intervention services for juveniles.

(Previous posts on the 2027–29 budget requests are available here.)