Since assuming the position of Chief Justice, his message to the Legislature has been to maintain a dialogue between the Legislature and the Court. He said he would like to continue that dialogue of sharing problems and working towards finding solutions together. Chief Justice Zlaket said Arizona has the reputation of having one of the most innovative and progressive State judicial systems in the country. He noted Arizona has been on the cutting edge of many reforms. Our court system is open and accessible to people who do not have lawyers and want to represent themselves.
People feel welcome and are served by court staff with dignity and class.
The courts are losing employees at a rate where it has become a crisis. It is anticipated there will be a 30 percent turnover in this fiscal year. He said he has started a crusade for higher salaries, and he asked the Legislature to address this problem while funds are available. There are 50,000 probationers on the streets of Arizona. By law, the County Boards of Supervisors have the authority to give raises to probation officers.