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Atchison Co Officials React to Court Furlough Day

By David Meyer

04/12/2012

Some Atchison County officials will have to stay away from the office Friday as a result of a State Supreme Court Furlough.

Employees in the District Court office, as well as Probation Office will not be coming to work, either.

Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss last week ordered furloughs for judicial branch employees for five Fridays statewide in order to close a shortfall in court operating funds.

They are also scheduled to be closed four other Fridays—April 27th, May 11th, May 25th and June 8th.

However, those could be only proposed closures, as the Kansas Legislature reconvenes April 25th, and if funding is restored, the dates could be restored.

They began their annual spring break late last month without passing a spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1st.

Employees will be on involuntary unpaid leave those Fridays.

However, after the “wait week” period passes after the first furlough and funding isn’t restored, individuals that qualify under Department of Labor standards could apply for an unemployment claim those days.

The furlough does not apply to County Judges or State Judges.

It doesn’t apply to County Attorney Gerald Kuckleman’s office, either.

But, he won’t have cases to prosecute Friday, which is a docket day in Atchison County.

He says tomorrow’s furlough adjustments have been taken care of, but it could pose problems if there’s more.

(Play Audio) RT: :23

The current proposed Legislative spending plan covered the $1.4 million shortfall in the judicial branch’s current budget.

Nuss warned lawmakers in a February letter that without the extra funding, Kansas courts would have to close five extra days this spring.

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