The Kentucky Court of Justice has issued three furlough days for the 2012 year beginning August 6 according to House Bill 269.

Those offices that will be closed on August 6 include, the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, District Court, Office of Circuit Court Clerk, the Administrative Office of the Courts and all court services, including Pretrial Service, Drug Court, the Court Designated Worker Program, Court Interpreting Services, the State Law Library and Driver License branches.

Circuit Court Clerk Jake Staton said he regrets this is happening, but it is mandatory he closes his offices on these three days this year.

“There is a budget deficit that has created the furlough,” Staton said. “We are the judicial branch of the government, which makes up about three percent of the budget. The legislative branch is the branch that dictates the policies and they appropriate us so much money for the chief justice to operate the judicial system.”

Employees are prohibited from working overtime during the week in which a furlough day is scheduled.

“I regret that this has to be done, but people can still contact me,” Staton said. “It’s ordered by the Supreme Court to do so. This effects every judge, secretary … everybody.”

The three days the court system will be closed is August 6, September 4, and October 15.

“October 15 won’t be that big of a deal because that’s usually around the time of the Foothills Festival and we are usually closed anyways,” Staton said. “There are more than 3,300 employees statewide in the Court of Justice, so taking out wages on 3,300 people for three days would be a lot of money.”

During the past four years, Kentucky’s Judicial Branch has experienced budget reductions, resulting in the Court of Justice cutting 282 employees statewide as well as eliminating court programs and cut back on operating costs in order to stay under budget.

According to an order issued by the Supreme Court of Kentucky, the Kentucky General Assembly reduced the total funds available to the Judicial Branch by $25.2 million in payroll to the state’s general fund. This reduction in the general fund has prompted the furlough days for the year 2012.

In the past, the cutting of court programs and other cuts have allowed the Judicial Branch to not implement the furlough days until now.

According to the Supreme Court order, given the recent budget cut, and considering salaries make up 86 percent of the court operation’s budget, it was necessary to have furlough days in order to keep the amount appropriated in the current budget close to the amount it takes to operate the Kentucky Court of Justice.

This is the first time in Kentucky’s modern court system the Court of Justice has had to close its courts and court offices in order to balance its budget.

A furlough, by definition, is the temporary reduction of hours an employee is scheduled by the employee to work within a pay period, with corresponding reduction in pay, for budget-required reasons.

During the weeks of the furloughs of August 6, September 4, and October 15, no full-time employees will be able to work more than 30 hours during that week.

Part-time employees will not be able to work more than 22.5 hours during those weeks.

A week consists from Sunday at midnight and continues through Saturday at 11:59 p.m.