Idaho's court system isn't requesting any increased funding next year, and instead has agreed to a 1 percent cut to help balance the state budget, Patti Tobias, administrative director of the courts, told legislative budget writers this morning. The courts have three vacant magistrate judgeships and six requests for new judgeships that have been deferred for now. They have a hiring freeze, are down 16 percent in staffing as a result, and are relying on an emergency court-fee surcharge enacted by lawmakers last year to balance their budget. "For this budget year, the court stretched already stretched judicial resources across the state," Tobias said. "The court has cut all possible costs. All court services to the public have now been affected." Among the cutbacks: Startup of three new DUI courts has been halted.