Supreme Court Chief Justice Rhys Hodge asked the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance to consider financing the judicial department $14 million above the $41 million the governor has recommended.
Some Senators expressed the wish to appropriate the higher amount, but Committee Chair Donna Frett-Gregory said the Senate had the job of keeping the budget connected to government revenues. She added there was concern that revenue projections were higher than what was coming in.
After testimony by Chief Disciplinary Counsel Tanisha Bailey-Roka, the financial discussion was sidetracked.
Several senators said they had received complaints about her department, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. The office is responsible for prosecuting attorneys and members of the judiciary who have committed ethical misconduct.
Bailey-Roka did not deny there were complaints about her department. She testified that department members have publicly been called “felons, evil, vindictive, thieves, corrupt.” She said the office had been sued a dozen times, and threats of violence had been leveled at her.
She said her office was doing its job. Since she was hired in November 2015 and 2023, the office has closed 230 attorney misconduct cases, 28 unlicensed practice of law cases, and 35 judicial misconduct cases.
According to Bailey-Roker, the problem is that people don’t understand that, though they feel something is wrong, it is not ethically wrong.
“It is difficult to get complainants to understand that it is entirely possible for a situation to feel wrong to them yet still be completely ethical,” she said.
Hodge’s request called for $55 million, of which $53 million would go to the branch’s direct operations. One point seven million would fund the Office of Conflict Counsel, and $148,338 would fund the Judicial Council.
The request includes $26 million for salaries and $11 million for fringe benefits, $7 million for other services and charges, $6 million in projected capital expenditures, $2 million for utilities, $1.5 million for other personnel services, and $683,100 for supplies.
Presently, the judiciary has 313 filled positions (179 on St. Thomas/St. John and 134 on St. Croix) and 44 vacancies.
When asked about the governor’s recommended budget for the judiciary, Rhys said, “It would barely cover personnel.”
He added that the department is experiencing relatively high employee turnover and is threatened with over 100 retirements within three years.
Senators at today’s committee hearing included Frett-Gregory, Novelle Francis, Marvin Blyden, Franklin Johnson, Ray Fonseca, and Dwayne DeGraff.
