State Senate proposes $5 billion to fix California courthouses

The state Senate's top Democrat says that courthouses in California are overcrowded and unsafe. Legislation being pushed by State Senate President Pro-Tem Don Perata would provide $5 billion in bonds to fix the worst 40 court buildings, KPBS News reported (LISTEN).

The plan is to pay for the improvements by increasing the fees for parking tickets, traffic school, criminal convictions and civil court filings, the Los Angeles Times reported.

California Chief Justice Ronald George supports SB 1407. He told a news conference that the conditions of courthouses "have reached a state of crisis," with some judges having hearings in parking lots due to overcrowding and some courthouses at risk of collapsing in an earthquake.

"These courthouses pose substantial dangers to those who work in them and to witnesses, parties, jurors, and others who enter the courthouse doors to pay traffic tickets, obtain documents, or appear in court proceedings," George said in a press release.

The California Public Defenders Association, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and California Teamsters oppose the bill. Some opponents told the Times that increased fees for parking tickets and criminal convictions would hurt poor people.