04/26/2006 08:30 AM House FINANCE

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 237(FIN)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act relating  to the compensation  of justices  and                                                                   
     judges, and  to increasing the number of  superior court                                                                   
     judges  designated  for the  third  and fourth  judicial                                                                   
     districts; and providing for an effective date."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SUSAN  PARKS,  DEPUTY ATTORNEY  GENERAL,  CRIMINAL  DIVISION,                                                                   
DEPARTMENT OF LAW,  spoke in support of CSSB 237  (FIN).  She                                                                   
described  the impetus behind  the bill,  a concern  with how                                                                   
long it  was taking to  get cases to  trial.  In  Anchorage a                                                                   
homicide case  typically takes two  to three years to  get to                                                                   
trial. There  was a strong  feeling among district  attorneys                                                                   
that there were  not enough resources available  to get cases                                                                   
to trail.  It was agreed to work  together to give the system                                                                   
what it needed to improve.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Parks  related that the  original bill proposed  four new                                                                   
Superior Court Judges around the  state.  The current version                                                                   
of the  bill would  add six  more judges.   Felony  referrals                                                                   
around the  state are  up 64  percent in  the last 10  years.                                                                   
Caseloads are up, there has been  an increase in prosecutors,                                                                   
and  police resources,  and more  crimes  have been  created.                                                                   
Cases  have become  more  complex  and victims'  rights  have                                                                   
impacted  cases, which  slows down  the system  and takes  up                                                                   
more resources.   These additional judges are  needed because                                                                   
the system is not working efficiently.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:52:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Parks noted that Palmer is  the number one priority.  The                                                                   
number of cases there increased  from 595 felony referrals in                                                                   
2002, to  869 in 2005.   Anchorage  currently has  28 pending                                                                   
murder  trials.   Kenai  is  another  area  in need  of  more                                                                   
support.   Fairbanks  has seen  an  increase in  crime.   She                                                                   
urged support for the bill.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:53:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Holm asked about  the 50 percent  increase in                                                                   
the  amount of  money earmarked  for judges,  from $9,200  to                                                                   
$13,000 per month.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHRIS  CHRISTENSEN,  STAFF  COUNSEL,   ALASKA  COURT  SYSTEM,                                                                   
observed  that  there  are  more   police  officers  so  more                                                                   
perpetrators are caught and brought  to justice.  In the past                                                                   
the ACS  has been  frugal in their  requests for  new judges.                                                                   
Now the  Department  of Law feels  the need  to request  this                                                                   
increase.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:56:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Christensen  addressed the  issue  of the  judicial  pay                                                                   
raise.  Judges are appointed and  elected and that has caused                                                                   
some salary  issues.  Up  until 1990, salaries  matched those                                                                   
of federal judges.   Since 1990, those salaries  have dropped                                                                   
42 percent.  Today, Alaskan judges'  salaries are 47th out of                                                                   
48  states   and  they   make  substantially   less   than  a                                                                   
commissioner.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:59:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SB  237  was   heard  and  HELD  in  Committee   for  further                                                                   
consideration.