Chief Justice Announces Working Group on Audit Recommendations

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Contact: <a href="mailto:teresa.ruano@jud.ca.gov">Teresa Ruano</a>, 415-865-7740

January 7, 2015

Chief Justice Announces Working Group on Audit Recommendations

Judicial Council seal

SAN FRANCISCO—Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye today announced formation of a Judicial Council working group that will review recommendations by the California State Auditor from the audit on judicial branch spending released today. The working group will report back to the Judicial Council in February.

“I believe every organization should constantly re-assess and continuously improve itself,” the Chief Justice said. She noted that a number of the recommendations have been in process since 2012, when the Judicial Council accepted the recommendations of the Strategic Evaluation Committee (SEC). “We still have work to do. Our new Administrative Director, Martin Hoshino, has substantial governmental experience, and both the SEC report and the audit will be helpful resources for him as he continues that assessment. Some of the recommendations deal with policy issues that can only be addressed by me or the Judicial Council, with input from its many advisory committees or, in some cases, from our sister branches of government. The hallmark of the judicial branch is its deliberative process—and it’s a process we will adhere to as we evaluate the audit’s policy recommendations.”

Chairing the work group is Justice Douglas P. Miller, who also chairs the council’s Executive and Planning Committee. Members include Justice Jim Humes, presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division One, Judge Laurie Earl, who chairs the council’s Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee, Judge Marcia Slough, chair of the Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee, council members Judge Charles D. Wachob and Judge Brian McCabe, former chair and vice chair of the Strategic Evaluation Committee, and Mary Beth Todd, council member and chair of the Court Executives Advisory Committee.

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