25 days ago
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A decade-long effort to centralize state court records has generated huge cost overruns that have caught the attention of the California Legislature and the governor's technology watchdog. The Sacramento Bee reported Sunday that the still-unfinished project, originally envisioned as a modest $21 million upgrade involving six Southern California counties, has expanded to cover the entire state at a cost approaching $2 billion at a time when the state courts have been forced to close one day a month to save money. California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron George, who led the push for upgraded system, says it is vital so judges in one county can know if a defendant is facing charges in another and that state budget analysts have received regular updates about the project's costs.
The Associated Press
