By KPR
Frankfort, KY – After several years of budget cuts and austerity measures, Kentucky Chief Justice John Minton says the judicial branch budget is expected to remain stable for fiscal year 2012. Since 2008, the state judiciary has sustained millions in budget cuts, abolished 47 positions and trimmed operations. However, the chief justice initiated a tough cost-cutting plan two years to balance the budget that saved the state court system $6.7 million. Minton has suspended a three-year hiring freeze for the state court system and says there would be no staff reductions in the coming fiscal year. Overall, Minton eliminated almost 3 and a half percent of the court system's non-elected workforce to combat budget restraints.