HONOLULU -- The state courts system is still deciding when its Hawaii Government Employees Association employees will be furloughed. So, while state courts will be open on the next two Fridays, the state's biggest courthouse will have no parking for the general public.

The parking lot next to Circuit Court on Pokukaina Street is one of the busiest parking lots in Honolulu, serving both family and circuit courts. It requires an attendant to operate the gate and collect fees.

Because those attendants are covered by the HGEA contract, they will be furloughed starting Friday. The state has decided to close the public entrance to the parking structure and another on Halekauwila Street a block away.

"I think its gong to be a big problem," attorney Craig Nagamine said.

The courts are run by the state Judiciary, which is not closing the courthouses. So hundreds of people with court hearings will be without convenient parking. Many will be hunting for metered parking.

"Fridays are not as busy than say, Monday through Thursday, so I am hoping it will be OK and I have this whole street here and I have no choice," attorney Laura Maeshiro said.

Others said the congested area does not offer affordable parking, especially for the kinds of people who end up in court, let alone busy attorneys, witnesses and jurors -- all who will struggle when a handful of parking attendants are furloughed.

"It just doesn't make any sense to me that now judges and lawyers and people who have business with the courts won't be able to do their business because of one thing," Nagamine said.

You might think that furloughing the people who collect the fees would actually cost taxpayers money. However, the workers said they do not collect that much money because many of the people at the structures are on monthly passes and the fees really are not very high.

The state said people will just have to find spaces in private parking lots, on the street, or in the state parking lots that feature meters, which will remain open.