California Federal Filing Dip Bucks National Trend Otherwise.
According to the Federal Judicial Center, federal wage/hour lawsuit filings–which have steadily increased on a nationwide basis in the last few years–actually are down in California almost 50% in 2013 so far. Some legal experts have opined that the filings are down due to (1) possible forced arbitration after the Concepcion decision, (2) tighter class certification requirements enunciated in Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes, and (3) Brinker’s clarification of meal/rest break principles.
State Court Budgets Keep Dwindling.
Based on statistics from the California Administrative Office of the Courts, state court budgets in California’s 15 smallest counties have dropped an average of 34.2% in the past 5 years compared with a commensurate 15.2% drop in the 15 largest counties. For these smaller counties, the damage pans out this way: 73% have limited court reporter access; 83% have cut clerks or courtroom hours; 60% have mandated furloughs.