The West Virginia State Supreme Court is dealing with a $5.5 million cut in funding which is causing a hiring freeze that will impact all 55 counties.The West Virginia State Supreme Court Administrator, in a letter to people who have the power to hire probation officers, court reporters, law clerks, magistrate’s assistants, clerks and others, put a hiring freeze in place. The court claims its recent money requests have been narrow and conservative, unlike the days of a $32,000 couch but concedes. The Legislature has the ultimate authority as to the judiciary’s budget this year, the Legislature appropriated $5.5 million less than the $146.2 million requested. That money pays the salary of more than 16,000 court employees in all 55 counties