Kan. justice warns of periodic court closures

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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Davis is warning that state courts will have to close periodically if the Legislature fails to restore $8 million in budget cuts.

Davis said in a letter to court employees that the courts would close for a week at a time starting in February and continuing through June. Staff would be placed on unpaid leave, but judges would still be paid and perform duties with mandated deadlines, such as first appearances in criminal cases.

House Majority Leader Mike O'Neal, R-Hutchinson, says the Legislature has known about the problem since spring and will try to help as quickly as possible when lawmakers convene in January.

But he says it could take work to get the court closings and furloughs reduced to a few days rather than weeks.

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Information from: The Wichita Eagle, http://www.kansas.com