In 1998, the state of California took over funding of all state trial court operations, including responsibility for payment of salaries and benefits to trial court judges. Los Angeles County, which is home to one of the largest trial court systems in the United States, continues to pay "local judicial benefits" to its judges to supplement the compensation and benefits they received from the state. This "double dipping" by trial court judges costs Los Angeles County taxpayers an estimated $20 million per year. In the spring of 2006, Judicial Watch filed a "citizen-taxpayer" lawsuit against the county seeking to have these payments declared unlawful and to enjoin future payments.

This Judicial Watch lawsuit is on behalf of an Idaho county seeking to recover costs it has expended providing services to illegal aliens. Canyon County sued four large employers for knowingly hiring many illegal aliens who, during their employment, committed crimes in the County, thereby costing the County money for criminal justice services including incarcerating them in its jail. Many other of these illegal immigrants wrongfully obtained health and welfare services from the County. Overall, the County paid millions of dollars in services for these illegal immigrants in the four years prior to filing the action in 2005 pursuant to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”).

CHENEY ENERGY TASK FORCE