Court Judge Doris Downs declared an "economic state of emergency" when the cuts were proposed in November
Chief Fulton Superior Court Judge Doris Downs
(AP) -- Georgia's biggest court system is bracing for budget cuts that could force more than 1,000 defendants back into Fulton County's already overcrowded jail.
The Fulton County Commission is set to consider 10 percent budget cuts Wednesday that could total more than $50 million.
Chief Fulton Superior Court Judge Doris Downs warns that the cuts could slash pretrial diversion plans and lead to more overcrowding at the jail.
Downs and other county leaders declared an "economic state of emergency" when the cuts were proposed in November and warned that it could force them to shut down the courthouse as well as jeopardize death penalty cases.
Downs and other judicial leaders said the cuts came as a surprise to them and urged commissioners to rethink the spending plan before it plunges the legal system into a "crisis."
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