Section 1. All costs of maintenance and operation of the judicial branch shall be paid by the commonwealth. The operation of a registry of deeds and office of an assistant recorder of the land court in connection therewith shall not constitute a court operation. As used in this chapter and notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, ”costs of maintenance and operation of the judicial branch” shall include all costs and expenses related to the operation of the supreme judicial court, the appeals court, the trial court and its departments and divisions, district attorneys’ offices, law libraries, registries of probate, clerks’ offices and expenses incurred for assignment by the court of counsel as the court determines, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing shall also include all salaries of probation and court officers and other persons employed in such courts, offices and places, but in no event shall costs include any costs or expenses related to registries of deeds, sheriffs’ offices, county jails or county houses of correction, except as otherwise provided by law.