Budget cuts will be felt at Ventura County courts.

Byline: Raul Hernandez

Aug. 04--California's trial courts, including Ventura County Superior Court, face tough times as budgets are expected to be slashed by hundreds of millions of dollars in the next three years. Robert Sherman, assistant executive director of Ventura County Superior Court, said this year's budget cut is the most severe over the past three years.

"This is the worst deficit we've faced in those three years," Sherman said. "I've never seen anything like this." Cutbacks in hours, unpaid and voluntary furloughs, and a job freeze already are in place, he said. Deeper budget cuts will mean more furlough days for some of the 380 courthouse employees in the county, including administrators and supervisors, according to Sherman. "We have to take a look …