Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald is asking state lawmakers to approve a judiciary budget that includes $16.2 million to end the two-days-a-month furloughs for about 1,800 court workers on July 1.

In his first state of the judiciary address to the state Legislature, the head of the state’s third branch of government also urged support for $12 million in the judiciary’s capital improvement budget to purchase land and design a court complex in Kona on the Big Island.

State lawmakers appeared sympathetic, but indicated it’s too early to say whether they can go along with his proposals when the state faces an $844 million budget deficit.

"The challenge that the judiciary is having is real similar to a lot of other agencies, and the budget is a real concern," Senate President Shan Tsutsui said.

"I thought it was a good speech showing how the judiciary really has been affected by furloughs, especially when it comes to issues of justice and timeliness," said state Rep. Blake Oshiro, House majority leader. "It’s one thing we’re going to have to look at as we head down the road in terms of trying to balance the budget."

The judiciary is proposing the elimination of furloughs in its operating budget of $141 million for fiscal year 2012 and $143 million for fiscal year 2013.

Recktenwald, who became chief justice in September, said the judiciary withstood more than 13 percent or $19.7 million in appropriation cuts the past two years. The furloughs that began in November 2009 eliminated more than 600,000 staff hours of work, he said.

"These reductions in our resources have had substantial negative effects throughout the judicial system," he told state legislators.

He said the time to process uncontested divorces has doubled, 24 adult probation positions were eliminated on Oahu, and the median age of pending civil cases in Circuit Court has increased by more than 40 percent.

The chief justice also stressed the need for a Kona courthouse to replace court functions currently spread over three different facilities, including the old Kona Hospital, where the law library is housed in the former morgue.

"Adequate funding the state court system is an investment in justice, and an investment in our community, that should not be compromised even during tough economic times," Recktenwald said.

He said "positive news" includes the opening of the Ronald T. Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei last year and the success of the highly praised HOPE probation program.