ANCHORAGE — Alaska officials said all state courts will be closed every Friday at noon beginning July 1 to cut operating costs during the state’s fiscal crisis.
Court system spokeswoman Mara Rabinowitz says the new schedule is indefinite.
Officials say the closures will save the state about $2 million a year. Officials also expect the closures to yield a 4 percent cut in employee salaries. Workers will be on unpaid furlough during the closures.
Some designated courts will be open for time-reliant proceedings as well as some emergency proceedings such as petitions for domestic violence protective orders.
In-custody arraignments will still be held at the Anchorage jail on Friday afternoons.
Officials said other cost-saving actions that have been implemented include reducing the court system’s workforce by 9 percent through attrition.
