This Thursday, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye delivers her first State of the Judiciary address to the Legislature. The two branches of government are not on the best of terms, so this is not the optimal atmosphere for this initial speech.
The Chief has criticized the Legislature’s budget (which Governor Brown vetoed) because it made drastic cuts in court funding. Also, the Legislature is seriously considering stripping authority from the Judicial Council, which the Chief heads. Finally, the Chief has expressed displeasure with one Assemblymember’s condescending remarks about her.
The speech is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and will be broadcast and webcast by the California Channel.
[UPDATE: The Legislature has cancelled the Chief’s address. According to the Courthouse News Service, a Judicial Council email said that “[t]he address has been postponed at the request of the Legislature due to the ongoing nature of the budget discussions.” The same article reports that this indefinite postponement “follows her own postponement of the same address earlier this year.” Thanks to appellate lawyer Ben Shatz for the tip.]
