The West Virginia State Supreme Court is dealing with a $5.5 million cut in funding which is causing a hiring freeze that will impact all 55 counties.

The West Virginia State Supreme Court Administrator, in a letter to people who have the power to hire probation officers, court reporters, law clerks, magistrate's assistants, clerks and others, put a hiring freeze in place.

Most of its Supreme Courts’ workforce is not at the Capitol but in county courtrooms and offices. The court claims its recent money requests have been narrow and conservative, unlike the days of a $32,000 couch but concedes

The Legislature has the ultimate authority as to the judiciary's budget. In exercising that authority this year, the Legislature appropriated $5.5 million less than the $146.2 million requested. Th

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