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<br />'" <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />. ! ',' <br />"" <br /> <br />RESOLtn'ICl\I 00.03-050 <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE CLOSURE OF ANY SUBURBAN COURTHOUSE <br />AND REQUESTING RAMSEY COUNTY DISTRICT COURT <br />TO CONTINUE COOPERATIVELY EXAMINE <br />POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR STATE FUNDING CUTS <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Ramsey County Chief Judge Mott has announced that the District Court was <br />considering closing the Maplewood Suburban Court in response to proposed state funding <br />decreases; <br /> <br />WHEREAS, The proposed consolidation is in violation of state law requiring the continuation <br />of a suburban court facility and operation; <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Chief Judge Mott has indicated budgetary limitations as the primary reason for <br />considering the consolidation of the court system <br /> <br />WHEREAS, The Ramsey County District Court has only involved the suburban cities recently <br />in explaining the court consolidation efforts without formally including commwlities in a <br />planning effort to analyze possible measures to absorb the anticipated budget cuts; <br /> <br />WHEREAS. Consideration has not been given to the extensive direct and indirect costs to <br />suburban communities and residents, including social costs, associated with the closure of the <br />suburban court. <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the closing of the Maplewood Suburban Court will result in the following: <br /> <br />. Court calendars and overcrowding at the downtown courthouse will occur which does not <br />have the space to absorb additional defendants and the court staff needed for the <br />increased workload, <br /> <br />. Police officers will be offthe streets for longer periods oftime to travel longer distances <br />and to wait longer periods of time for overcrowded court schedules, <br /> <br />. Suburban police departments will incur increased costs to pay for longer waiting times, <br />parking costs, and additional officers to cover the longer absences, <br /> <br />. Suburban citizens will suffer major inconvenience from traveling longer distances and <br />waiting longer periods of time to be heard, <br /> <br />. Cooperation of civilian witnesses and crime victims with the prosecution will be lost, <br />particularly in domestic abuse cases, due to the remote location and increased waiting <br />time, and <br /> <br />. Prosecution costs will potentially increase if each city's cases are spread between more <br />courtrooms. <br /> <br />WHEREAS, suburban cities recognize the real need to cut costs at the district court level; <br /> <br />WHEREAS, suburban cities are themselves struggling with proposed cuts in their own state <br />