Crisis in court as LA County offers five-figure payouts for staff to quit amid budget black hole

Los Angeles County’s Superior Court is offering its staff thousands of dollars to quit their jobs.The court announced a Voluntary Separation Incentive Program on Friday to lower headcount and trim operating expenses because of a massive funding shortfall that threatens court operations.Starting Sept.21, eligible full-time court employees with at least five years of continuous service can opt to resign in exchange for a one-time $35,000 buyout.

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24 of this year and will be barred from rehire at the court for one year, the court said in a statement.“Just as Los Angeles County residents are struggling to keep pace with rising gas and grocery prices, the court finds itself in a similar bind — our operational costs continue to outpace our budget resources,” Presiding Judge Sergio C.Tapia II said.

Vacated positions will be eliminated entirely to secure ongoing savings rather than temporary relief.The buyout program aims to stabilize the budget and forestall potential layoffs or furloughs in the 2026–2027 fiscal year.Despite receiving partial inflationary adjustments in the latest state budget, the court’s projected cost including vendor contracts, county-provided services, custodial expenses and negotiated salary raises will exceed state funding by approximately $9.1 million this fiscal year.Cumulative state inflationary funding has failed to keep pace with the California Department of Finance‘s calculated need since the 2020–2021 fiscal year, opening an 13.1% gap that leaves an $88 million deficit.Based on Judicial Council of California metrics, the court lacks $233.7 million in funding needed to handle its 1.3 million annual filings.The court is curre...