Clerks’ offices at San Francisco Superior Court will close three hours earlier every day starting in October under a plan announced this month to address understaffing.
Under the proposal, clerks’ offices would be open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The change would take effect Oct. 19 if Presiding Judge Rochelle East decides to move forward.
Public comment will be accepted through Oct. 16 at sfcourtbudget@sftc.org.
If approved, the change would apply to all five Superior Court clerks’ offices, including those serving the criminal, civil, family, traffic and juvenile courts.
A drop box would be available for same-day processing of legal papers until 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
The move comes despite court revenue being projected at about $3.2 million more than in the 2025-26 fiscal year and the court projecting a nearly $750,000 surplus.
The court said in its Aug. 14 announcement that staffing levels had declined by about 30% over the past 15 years.
Revenue from reimbursements and state grants has steadily increased over the past several years, but so have operating costs.
In the 2020-21 fiscal year, the court generated about $71 million in revenue, which increased to nearly $92 million last year and is projected to exceed $95 million this year.
The court’s costs have nearly kept pace, according to a review of past budget documents from the Judicial Council and the court’s website.
Court clerks represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1021 staged a two-day strike in February, demanding that clerks not be overworked or asked to take on multiple jobs, as well as proper training and support and increased staffing levels.
They also sought pay increases, which the union said were agreed to when workers voted to end the work stoppage.
The union did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment on whether it agreed with the plan to close clerks’ offices early.