https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/ en https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/online-tool-request-reductions-traffic-tickets-continues-expand-throughout-california Online Tool to Request Reductions to Traffic Tickets Continues to Expand Throughout CaliforniaCorren, Blaine Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:33 Feature Just a few years ago, asking for a reduction in the amount of a traffic ticket meant filing a request in person at the courthouse or even appearing before a judge. But a new online tool offered by a growing number of California courts is not only saving litigants a trip to the courthouse, it’s saving them money. How the MyCitations Tool Works MyCitations is an online tool that allows low-income individuals with infraction violations to request a reduction in their fines and fees without going to the courthouse. Users can also request a payment plan, more time to pay, or community service. Image Program Continues to Expand, Reaching More Low-Income UserA recent report to the Legislature analyzed the program since its launch in April 2019 through December 2023. The report found that due to the program’s expansion and because more litigants are learning about the program, nearly half (61,351) of the total (128,151) requests made since it launched in 2019 were made in 2023. In 2023 alone: More than 47,000 litigants submitted approximately 61,000 ability-to-pay requests Courts granted more than $16 million in fine reductions Nearly 50% of litigants who used the tool reported they receive public benefits and nearly 90% reported incomes at or below 250% the poverty line As of March 1, 2024, more than 100,000 litigants have submitted more than 142,000 requests, resulting in more than $38.6 million in reductions since 2019. Report Finds Reducing Fines and Fees Benefits Both Litigants and Courts That latest report to the Legislature was consistent with earlier evaluations of the MyCitations tool, also finding that litigants are more likely to repay the full amount of fines and fees as the amount ordered to pay decreases. Image Comparing the repayment rates among 40,801 cases studied demonstrates that more defendants fully repay their court debt as the amount ordered to pay decreases. The rate of repayment ranges from around 70% for cases where defendants are ordered to pay up to $100 to below 20% when the ordered amount exceeds $500. Next Steps and Future MyCitations FeaturesCurrently, 43 superior courts in California’s 58 counties offer the MyCitations online tool. The 15 remaining superior courts expect to start using the tool by July 2024. In addition, all California tickets now have information about the MyCitations tool and how to access it. And adding to the tool’s functionality, a new Online Trial by Declaration module allows a defendant to contest eligible traffic citations by submitting a written statement and uploading evidence online. This online trial module will be piloted in San Francisco County by summer of 2024. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/judicial-council-approves-funding-continue-modernizing-court-operations-and-services Judicial Council Approves Funding to Continue Modernizing Court Operations and ServicesCorren, Blaine Tue, 09/20/2022 - 14:12 News Release SAN FRANCISCO—The council at its Sept. 20 meeting distributed $12.5 million from this year’s state budget to continue modernizing trial court operations, improving online and remote services, and increasing access to justice for the public. “We’ve demonstrated that the judicial branch can make great use of technology funding,” said Judge Kyle Brodie, who helped present the technology funding proposal as chair of the council’s Technology Committee. “Our projects have dramatically increased the level of service to the public.” Ongoing state funding for court technology has expanded voice-to-text translation in clerks and self-help offices, electronic filing, hearing reminders, access to court records, and other technology services. For example, the council heard about: The Virtual Customer Service Center pilot on the judicial branch’s online self-help portal, which has processed 65,000 chatbot questions from 46,000 visitors about small claims, name changes, and family law since March 2021, and has also served 4,200 live chat users—the service will soon be available on local court websites and be expanded to handle eviction, traffic, and fee waiver questions.   The Placer Superior Court pilot of the branch’s Hearing Reminder Service, which sent out nearly 20,000 reminders so far—by this fall, 8 trial courts will be using the service, which provides an option for reminders in Spanish, with 4 more languages coming soon   The branch’s eCART software, which automates the process of compiling a clerk’s transcript and produces an electronic record that can be securely transmitted to the appellate court—used in 31 trial courts so far, the software helps simplify a normally complex and time-intensive process “Collaboration between the council and the courts is delivering solutions to the branch, understanding that we are better together than separate,” said Heather Pettit, director of the council’s Information Technology office. “That is something we have modeled over the last several years.” Watch Other items on the September 20 council meeting agenda included: Funding to Backfill Loss of Fee Revenue: The council allocated $10.3 million from this year’s state budget to backfill the loss of fee revenue to trial courts due to the repeal of civil assessment fees authorized by Assembly Bill 177. Watch Update on State Budget from Department of Finance: The council received a briefing from Somjita Mitra, chief economist with the California Department of Finance, on the state of California’s economy and the outlook for the state’s finances in the future. She noted the state’s low unemployment rate, quick job recovery, and expected decrease in inflation bode well for staving off a possible recession. But Mitra also reported that the rising average age of the state’s residents, declining birth rate, and disappearing middle class could hinder economic growth. In addition, a recent decline in tax collections could necessitate the need to dip into the state’s $33 billion rainy day fund going forward. Watch Council’s Administrative Director Receives Chief Justice Award: Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye presented Administrative Director of the Judicial Council Martin Hoshino with the Award for Exemplary Service and Leadership, which honors an individual or organization for outstanding service to the judicial branch. Hoshino is only the seventh recipient of the award during Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s tenure. The complete meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center. An archived webcast of the entire meeting broken out by topic will be added to the center as soon as it is available. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/going-online-settle-small-claims-big-hit Going Online to Settle Small Claims a Big HitCorren, Blaine Mon, 03/28/2022 - 15:59 Feature Roughly 150,000 small claims cases are filed every year in California, including between 50 to 60 thousand in Los Angeles County alone. By law these cases are worth less than $10,000, but they can be a large obstacle in many people’s lives. But the online dispute resolution (ODR) tool offered by the Los Angeles Superior Court is one of a handful of programs in the state giving court users the freedom to settle their cases without going to court or before a judge. How it WorksThe court’s ODR tool guides litigants through a series of simple questions regarding their dispute, and enables them to confidentially share documents and propose resolutions online. The tool offers assistance from trained mediators and information about available services from housing counselors during the negotiation process. Once a resolution is reached, the tool generates the forms for a settlement agreement and then automatically and electronically files the final agreement with the court at no cost, and with no court hearing. Parties who do not reach an agreement within two court days of their scheduled hearing will be required to appear in court (either in person or remotely). The court’s ODR tool is a cooperative effort with the LA County Department of Consumer and Business affairs, who provided partial funding for software development, and who provide no-cost mediation services. “We continually seek more efficient and convenient ways to serve our communities and expand access to justice," said Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor, a strong supporter of the online program. "Our online dispute resolution program makes it possible for Los Angeles County residents to resolve their disputes online and more efficiently by reducing the need for in person hearings during the pandemic.” Stats from the Court’s ODR ProgramSince its launch in February 2021, the Los Angeles court’s ODR program has helped resolve 600 small claims cases and 700 more are pending. The court expanded its ODR program to eviction cases in December, and so far 69 of those disputes have been resolved and 119 are pending. The court first starting using ODR back in May 2019 so parents could negotiate and agree to parenting plans in child custody disputes. Parents working out the details of custody plans can negotiate and agree to a plan online. In 2021, the tool facilitated the negotiations of 177 parenting plans, while 83 of those negotiations got referred to mediation, where a partial agreement was reached. Increasing Use of Online Dispute ResolutionRecognizing the interest in and potential of ODR for small claims or other cases, Judicial Council advisory committees on technology and small claims studied the issue to help courts interested in launching their own remote services and streamlining procedures. The committees analyzed existing court programs and explored other options to identify best practices, rules, forms, and funding opportunities that could help additional courts launch their own programs. The following California superior courts offer ODR tools to help settle small claims disputes between parties online: Superior Court of Los Angeles County – small claims Superior Court of Orange County – small claims Superior Court of Santa Clara County – small claims Superior Court of Stanislaus County – small claims Superior Court of Yolo County – small claims https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/2021-year-review-judicial-council-california 2021 Year in Review: Judicial Council of CaliforniaCorren, Blaine Mon, 12/20/2021 - 10:31 Feature In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to challenge the state’s ability to ensure access to justice for the citizens of California. But like the previous year, California’s Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and the Judicial Council supported the courts as they remained flexible and innovative to ensure the justice system was open and vital services remained accessible to the public. Remote Proceedings Increased Access During Pandemic A report from the Chief Justice’s pandemic workgroup found strong support for offering remote access on a permanent basis for most court proceedings, rather than defaulting to pre-pandemic levels of in-person operations. The report found remote proceedings often improved the court experience for testifying victims, expert witnesses, and family law litigants, as well as increased efficiency for arraignments, pretrial conferences, and progress report hearings. The report further showed remote hearings increased efficiency: In areas where courts relied almost exclusively on remote video hearings—most notably juvenile delinquency and dependency cases—clearance rates climbed as high as 130%, enabling courts to handle not just current juvenile cases but also clear previous backlogs    Remote hearings helped boost the resolution of child support cases by 10%   In criminal and other case types, where remote hearings were used far less often, clearance rates decreased by about 20% Resource Guide on Remote Proceedings The council’s workgroup on post-pandemic initiatives introduced a new resource guide for judicial officers conducting proceedings by videoconference. The guide highlights practical issues to consider, such as technical equipment, file/screen sharing, language interpretation, online security, handling disruptive behavior, and public access to the proceedings. (View presentation) Addressing Criminal Case Backlog Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye launched a program to fast track the resolution of criminal cases to help ease significant backlogs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Retired judges from the Chief Justice’s Temporary Assigned Judges Program can help courts by conducting readiness conferences or cover matters for their local judges assigned to these conferences. Image More than 25,000 requests for fine and fee reduction were processed through the new MyCitations tool from April 2019-June 2021. Additional counties will offer the MyCitations tool in 2022. Court Innovations Improved Services for Public The council’s Court Innovations Grants Program continued to fund 51 projects across 30 courts statewide, which helped the judicial branch expand remote services and address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on court users. Those programs led to a new statewide self-help litigant portal, creating answers to common questions for online chat bots on court websites, and expanding the use of electronic court records and e-filing. In addition, investments in technology helped the Judicial Council develop the online MyCitations tool for infraction cases, currently available in seven superior courts around the state. The tool allows litigants with financial hardship to submit online a fine and fee reduction request. From April 2019–June 2021, more than 25,000 requests were submitted, from about 16,000 litigants. More than 80% of the requests were approved, resulting in more than $9.5 million in reduced fines and fees. Providing Language Assistance and Resources Californians speak more than 200 languages, about 44% of households speak a language other than English, and nearly 7 million people report speaking English “less than very well.” The council cohosted a series of free public webinars to help connect limited English speakers with court language services and multilingual materials (view on YouTube). Court leadership and staff, local/county/ethnic bar associations, legal services organizations, law libraries, and other language access stakeholders learned how they can provide these materials directly to their communities through websites, social media channels, and hard-copy distribution at resource centers. The council also ran print and public service announcements on how to access court interpreter services in 15 multi-ethnic print publications and 16 multilingual radio stations throughout the state.  Courts Expanding Pretrial Services The judicial branch budget expanded funding for pretrial pilot programs that started in 16 courts to increase the safe and efficient release of people arrested before trial. The funding also helped additional courts develop their own pretrial programs. The programs promote the least restrictive release conditions while still addressing public safety and ensuring court appearances, use appropriate monitoring practices, and provide services for those released. New Courthouse Construction The new Sonora courthouse in Tuolumne County opened in August. The state budget also included $2.1 billion over five years to fund construction of critically needed new courthouses, including 14 replacement and renovation projects on a priority list approved by the council. Since assuming responsibility for court construction in 2002, the council has completed 31 new courthouse projects. This year, the judicial branch opened new courthouses in Sonora and Yreka; broke ground in Indio, Menifee, Modesto, and Sonoma; and expects to open new courthouses next year in El Centro, Redding, and Willows.   Workgroup on Homelessness Offers Recommendations In its final report to the council, the Chief Justice’s Work Group on Homelessness recommended ways the judicial branch could increase access and assistance for court users experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, such as: Improving the process for litigants involved in eviction cases by increasing remote access, expanding self-help resources, and creating more user-friendly court forms with information sheets and checklists   Providing attorneys in residential eviction cases for litigants who can’t afford them and starting and/or expanding court settlement efforts in those cases   Expanding the number of special homeless court programs, which can reduce barriers to housing stability by clearing defendants’ fines, fees, warrants, and outstanding cases after treatment and rehabilitation (18 California counties have some form of homeless court program) Preventing Bias in Court Interactions The council approved recommendations from the Chief Justice’s Work Group to Enhance Administrative Standards Addressing Bias in Court Proceedings. In addition to encouraging bias reporting and education, the updated standards broaden the list of classifications protected, and define the optimal makeup and roles of local or regional committees working to prevent bias in court interactions by court staff or judicial officers. “I see this effort as another tangible example of how the Chief Justice has tasked this council to not only improve access to justice, but to be transparent, accountable and more inclusive of the myriad of court users that enter courthouse doors up and down the state,” said Judge Stacy Boulware Eurie, co-chair of the work group. Statewide Effort to Increase Judicial Diversity For 15 years in a row, California’s judicial bench has grown more diverse, according to Judicial Council data. But even with this encouraging trend, nearly two-thirds of the state’s justices and judges are men and 65% are white. Gov. Gavin Newsom in July announced the California Judicial Mentor Program as a statewide undertaking between the executive and judicial branches to advance the shared goal of an inclusive judiciary that reflects California’s diversity. That program includes an appellate court program in the First Appellate District, as well as a trial court mentor program that launched in Los Angeles in October and has expanded to much of the state. A key tool in developing the mentoring programs, the council’s Judicial Diversity Toolkit encourages courts to reach out to underrepresented groups, including individuals with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, and sexual orientations. Judges in the ClassroomAs part of the Chief Justice’s Civic Learning Initiative, the Judges in the Classroom program continues to match judges with schools for in-person or remote visits with students. The visits help students understand the third branch of government and the rule of law, develop critical thinking and communication skills, and build trust and confidence in the courts that hopefully results in future willingness to participate in government as jurors, voters, and community leaders.  Cross-County Judges in the Classroom Virtual Visits: Commissioner Rebeca Esquivel-Pedroza visits a classroom in San Diego from her chambers in Santa Clara County to talk about civil rights leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.  During the 2020-2021 academic year, 180 bench officers signed up for Judges in the Classroom, connecting with 181 (virtual) classrooms in 11 counties. In the first five months of the current school year, schools have submitted nearly 200 requests.  Stay connected in 2022 by subscribing to the California Courts Newsroom and Twitter feed. (See bottom of this page for links)