Ruling May End Friday Closures at 8 Welfare Offices : Social services: Officials are reviewing federal judge’s decision to determine if it applies countywide. Currently, centers are shut one day every other week to save money.

Orange County officials may have to open the doors to eight local welfare offices now closed every other Friday, according to a federal court ruling.

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County Social Services Agency Director Larry Leaman said Tuesday that county attorneys are reviewing this week’s decision by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb in Sacramento. The order could force the opening of offices in Anaheim, Garden Grove, Laguna Hills and Santa Ana on Fridays beginning Jan. 14.

“We’re not sure if the decision applies to every office in the county,” Leaman said. “We’re still scrambling around to see what’s best to do.”

Shubb’s decision came in a lawsuit brought by welfare recipients throughout the state who contended that government office closures--especially during the holidays--presented hardships to those seeking welfare grants, emergency housing assistance and food stamps.

The welfare recipients were represented by the Los Angeles-based Western Center on Law and Poverty and other legal aid offices.

In addition to addressing office hours, the judge’s ruling also commands the state Department of Social Services to determine what hours are necessary to provide adequate service to those seeking assistance.

According to Orange County work schedules, welfare offices are closed every other Friday as a budget-cutting measure.

“I am sure that office closures have been a hardship on clients,” said Nancy Rimsha of the Legal Aid Society of Orange County. “We are concerned for those clients.”

However, Leaman said his offices have received no complaints about office closures from the estimated 2,000 residents who seek some sort of assistance each day.

Depending on the legal opinion forthcoming from the county counsel’s office, Leaman said it is possible that all eight county offices would remain open every weekday. Officials were also considering whether the county still could comply with the federal court ruling by opening some offices.

In Anaheim, for example, the county has three welfare offices, and Leaman said it might be more efficient to leave one open on alternate Fridays.

If all offices are forced to remain open, Leaman said about 1,000 county employees would return to five-day workweeks. Under other possible options, the court order could force between 250 to 450 employees back to full schedules.

“We want to comply, but we don’t want to engage in overkill here,” Leaman said. “We’re suffering from too much government here. It’s getting to a point where the Board of Supervisors can’t even set hours of operation for county offices without some interference.”