HONOLULU -- For the first time since budget cuts forced state workers into furloughs, courthouses across the state were shut down on Friday.

The courts started their furlough Fridays later than the rest of state government, giving staff and attorneys time to make sure people with hearings were rescheduled, but there was still some inconvenience and confusion.

"It's closed because I guess they don't have any money. I don't know," Shiela Palesano said.

Palesano called her mom with bad news because the district and traffic courts were locked down, she could not pick up the traffic abstract she needs for work.

"I had time now to come and its closed now. Oh my God," Palesano said.

Brian Kim could not pay a parking ticket.

"I found out all the doors are closed the escalators off and the information booth is closed," Kim said.

At Circuit Court, the locked doors surprised a man who delivers court documents.

"I was shocked it closed today I thought maybe certain people a skeleton crew would be working, but everything is locked up, eh?" Don Ho said.

Friday was the first of 16 Fridays that courts will close in the next eight months because most court staff is under the Hawaii Government Employees Association contract requiring furloughs, but janitors and judges, like Steven Alm, were still at work.

"You know how it is when the phone is not ringing the same way and you are not in court you can actually get a lot of work done," Alm said.

Because the courts delayed its furloughs, the courts were the only state buildings closed on Friday. The courthouses were closed, but the parking lot at the biggest courthouse was open.

The lack of traffic was a concern for local restaurants. This Friday was OK, but the impact could be much worse when all the state buildings close at once.

"It's going to be so slow. We might run out of business if nothing going to happen," said Ted Manago, of Courtside Cafe.

Fortunately for those businesses, there will be only three days this year when the courts and other state buildings are closed together.