Phoenix - After two years of providing extended hours of dedicated service to the public, Maricopa County Superior Court will be closing its doors on the night and Saturday court operations at the Northeast Family and Juvenile Durango court locations in Phoenix.

“Revenue shortfalls for the state and county continue to challenge our ability to provide exemplary programs and services,” said Presiding Judge Barbara Rodriguez Mundell. “As we enter the new fiscal year, we need to make budget cuts that will allow the Court to reach a balanced budget.”

The extended hour courts began in January 2007, and have offered valuable services such as decree on demand, child support enforcement, parenting time enforcement, Title 14 guardianships, adoptions and extension hearings. Judges, commissioners and staff supporting these programs have assisted more than 22,000 litigants and attorneys and handled more than 13,000 hearings.

“It’s hard to see these programs end. Litigants appreciate the flexibility of attending hearings after work or school,” Judge Mundell said.

Legal matters currently on the docket will be heard as scheduled, but future events will be set on court calendars during regular business hours. Both of these programs are expected to be shut down in June.