https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/ en https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/judicial-council-continue-efforts-improve-availability-court-interpreters Judicial Council to Continue Efforts to Improve the Availability of Court InterpretersCorren, Blaine Fri, 12/12/2025 - 14:14 News Release SAN FRANCISCO—The Judicial Council at its December 12 business meeting approved recommendations from a study on how to expand access to the pool of court interpreters able to assist the state’s nearly 6.4 million limited-English-proficient (LEP) residents and potential court users. Study considerations for the council include reviewing interpreter examination standards and content, adopting carryover scoring to aid candidates, and creating structured career pathways—including tiered systems and apprenticeship programs, particularly for Spanish interpreters. The study also advises that the council work with courts to develop a statewide directory for interpreters trained in video remote interpreting and continue expanding access to American Sign Language (ASL) and emerging languages. “There was broad agreement among the stakeholders for the recommendations and considerations,” said Court Executive Officer Anabel Romero, vice-chair of the council’s Court Interpreters Advisory Panel. “The study offers a roadmap for the branch to improve interpreter services for the public and to ensure our goals of high-quality equitable access for all Californians, regardless of the language they speak.” The study also calls for action by the Legislature, courts, and experienced court interpreters, which includes recommendations to continue adequately funding interpreter services, review and improve compensation packages, and develop mentorship programs. Watch Funding for Children’s Waiting RoomsThe council approved children’s waiting room fund balance cap adjustments requested by superior courts, which will allow them to continue planned operations and expansion of their children’s waiting rooms. The state encourages each courthouse to provide a waiting room for children whose parents or guardians are attending court proceedings. The waiting rooms offer professional childcare and activities, and protect children from the stress and potential trauma of courtroom environments. The Children’s Waiting Room (CWR) Distribution and Fund Balance Policy sets a cap on how much money each court may retain in its CWR fund. If a court’s balance exceeds this cap, the excess must be returned to the Trial Court Trust Fund for the benefit of courts statewide, unless the council approves a request from the court to increase the cap. For today’s meeting, the council received requests from five superior courts to increase their caps to cover costs related to maintenance and expansion of their children’s waiting rooms. By approving the requests, courts can retain this funding to support their waiting rooms. “This funding apparatus is a splendid example of the Judicial Council’s transparency in this aspect of our funding but also how efficiently we’re using this money,” said Judge Ann Moorman, chair of the council’s Judicial Branch Budget Committee. “Because of the biannual review that occurs, trial courts have to evaluate how much they need and how they use it, and then turn it back when they don’t use it. We can then support these five courts—Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Santa Clara—with their expanded financial needs using the same money that’s been allocated.” Watch Other Items on Council Meeting Agenda: Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules: The council adopted the Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules, 2026 Edition: Traffic, Boating, Forestry, Fish and Game, Public Utilities, Parks and Recreation, Business Licensing (UBPS). The UBPS includes schedules for traffic infractions, traffic misdemeanors, boating, forestry, fish and game, public utilities, parks and recreation, and business licensing. With specified exceptions, the traffic infraction schedule must be followed by the courts. On an annual basis, trial courts must also revise and adopt countywide schedules of bail and penalties for all misdemeanor and infraction offenses except Vehicle Code infractions. To achieve substantial uniformity of penalties throughout the state, courts must consider the UBPS in performing those duties. Changes to the annual schedules are primarily based on legislative changes but can also result from input by courts and justice system partners. Watch Trial Court Trust Funds: The council approved requests from trial courts under a program that allows them to request that a reduction in their Trial Court Trust Fund allocations be retained as a restricted fund balance for the benefit of those courts. The funds are then allocated back to the courts by the council for only the purposes stated in their approved requests, which can include projects related to technology infrastructure and upgrades, new audio and visual equipment, and courthouse maintenance and repairs. A report on this project funding is made publicly available on the California courts public website. Watch Legislative Priorities: The council approved the types of legislation it should support to increase access to justice for court users, which includes: adequate court funding to address increased costs; remote access to the courts while balancing due process; new judicial officer positions in counties with the greatest need; ensuring the availability of verbatim records of court proceedings; efficient court operations; and increased security to safeguard personnel, the public, and court systems from physical and cyber threats. Watch The complete meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center—an archived webcast of today’s meeting will be posted to the center as soon as it is available. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/judicial-council-consider-ways-increase-availability-court-interpreters Judicial Council to Consider Ways to Increase the Availability of Court InterpretersCorren, Blaine Fri, 12/05/2025 - 11:47 News Release SAN FRANCISCO—The Judicial Council at its December 12 business meeting will consider a study on the future of the court interpreter workforce and how best to meet the needs of the state’s nearly 6.4 million limited-English-proficient (LEP) residents and potential court users. The study highlights critical gaps in meeting the language needs of LEP court users. Findings reveal that while Spanish interpreter needs are generally met, significant shortages persist in other languages. Factors affecting interpreter availability include difficulty in passing the required court interpreter examinations, a retiring workforce, geographic constraints, and competition from other industries. The study’s findings call for action by multiple groups, including recommendations to the Legislature, as well as considerations for the council, the courts, and experienced court interpreters. The guidance includes: Continue funding for interpreter services Extend workforce pilot programs Expand career pathways and education through apprenticeship and mentorship programs Review examination standards and content Increase use of video remote interpreting Other Items on Council Meeting Agenda: Legislative Priorities: The council will consider the types of legislation it should support to increase access to justice for court users, which includes: adequate court funding to address increased costs; remote access to the courts while balancing due process; new judicial officer positions in counties with the greatest need; ensuring the availability of verbatim records of court proceedings; efficient court operations; and increased security to safeguard personnel, the public, and court systems from physical and cyber threats. Funding for Children’s Waiting Rooms: The council will consider the approval of children’s waiting room fund balance cap adjustments requested by superior courts, which will allow them to continue planned operations of their children’s waiting rooms. The state encourages each courthouse to provide a waiting room for children whose parents or guardians are attending court proceedings. The waiting rooms offer professional childcare and protect children from the stress and potential trauma of courtroom environments. Trial Court Trust Funds: The council will consider requests from trial courts under a program that allows them to request that a reduction in their Trial Court Trust Fund allocations be retained as a restricted fund balance for the benefit of those courts. The funds are then allocated back to the courts by the council for the purposes stated in their approved requests, which can include meeting contractual obligations and funding necessary court projects or purchases. Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules: The council will consider adopting the Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules, 2026 Edition: Traffic, Boating, Forestry, Fish and Game, Public Utilities, Parks and Recreation, Business Licensing. Unlike for Vehicle Code infractions, the penalty amounts in the schedule for other laws are advisory and intended to provide guidance and uniformity to the trial courts for their schedules for nontraffic misdemeanors and infractions. The complete council meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center. A link to a live webcast of the meeting will be on the California Courts website on the day of the meeting. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/judicial-council-approves-trial-court-funding-proposals Judicial Council Approves Trial Court Funding ProposalsCorren, Blaine Fri, 07/18/2025 - 13:40 News Release SAN FRANCISCO—The Judicial Council at its July 18 business meeting approved the allocation of funding to the courts provided in the fiscal year 2025-26 state budget, which includes money for court-appointed dependency counsel, continued implementation of the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, and other costs associated with trial court operations. “I want to express my appreciation for the commitment of Governor Newsom and the Legislature for maintaining critical judicial branch programs and services we need,” said Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. “This includes support for language access, treatment court programs, court-appointed counsel, and court facility improvements to ensure our courthouses are safe and secure.” Watch In addition, the council approved 16 budget change proposals to the California Department of Finance for consideration in the fiscal year 2026–27 budget, which include increased funding for costs associated with the Racial Justice Act, judicial security, language access, new courthouse construction and maintenance, and other judicial branch priorities. The proposals included an additional one raised during the meeting, but that wasn’t contained in the original council report. That added proposal seeks funding for an updated workload study of court-appointed counsel that represent children and parents in juvenile dependency proceedings. Judge Ann Moorman, chair of the council’s Budget Committee, presented the additional proposal, saying it will help determine updated caseload standards and the level of funding needed to support the court-appointed counsel program. “I believe this proposal aligns with our shared commitment to provide vital services to these children and families and ensure a strong court-appointed juvenile dependency system in California.” Watch Finally, the council updated its policy by which funding is allocated to the trial courts so it equitably accounts for potential changes to the judicial branch budget, such as budget reductions and restorations. Watch New Guidance for Courts That Use Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools The council approved proposals that address local court policies on the use of generative artificial intelligence for court-related work by judicial officers or court staff. The proposed new rule and standard focus on accuracy, supervision, and transparency when judicial officers or staff are using generative AI tools. They also address privacy, bias, and security risks posed by these tools. Courts that do not prohibit the use of generative AI would be required to adopt a use policy by December 15. Watch Funding to Continue Upgrading Court TechnologyThe council allocated grant funding to specifically help courts expand their use of technology. The funding will support projects related to cyber/information security, remote proceedings, data analytics, AI, and modernizing court technology infrastructure. The council also heard about success stories from courts that have received previous grant funding for technology projects. Court leaders described projects that converted paper documents to electronic court records, increased access to digital evidence for judges and litigants, and ensured disaster recovery during unexpected server outages. “The technology modernization funding allows each court to identify particular needs of their communities,” said Judge Kyle Brodie, chair of the council’s Technology Committee. “When awarding the program funding, we emphasize the need to use technology to improve access to our courts.” Watch Other Items on Council Meeting Agenda: Court Interpreter Use Study: The council received the latest Language Need and Interpreter Use Study, which details interpreter usage in trials courts for fiscal years 2020–21 through 2023–24 and predicts future language need. California courts recorded more than 2.5 million interpretations during the study period, which included remote and telephonic interpretations. Courts continue to prioritize funding for interpreter services, recruitment efforts, and remote services to help serve the approximately 6.4 million limited-English-proficient individuals in the state. Watch Updated Plan for Court Construction: The council approved the Judicial Branch Five-Year Infrastructure Plan and nine capital-outlay budget change proposals for fiscal year 2026–27. The plan represents the funding needs for new courthouse construction, as well as renovations and additions to existing facilities. Grants to Improve Jury Service: The council allocated grant funding to courts to improve the management of jury service. Funding priorities include self-check-in kiosks, electronic charging stations, and interactive voice and web services. Grants to Expand Language Access: The council allocated grant funding to expand language access for court users. Funding priorities include multilingual signage, audio/visual systems, kiosks, and websites. The complete meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center—an archived webcast of today’s meeting will be posted to the center as soon as it is available. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/council-receives-preview-new-model-policy-provides-guidelines-safeguards-use-generative-ai Council Receives Preview of New Model Policy That Provides Guidelines, Safeguards on Use of Generative AI by CourtsCorren, Blaine Fri, 02/21/2025 - 15:02 News Release SAN FRANCISCO—At its business meeting today, the Judicial Council got a preview of a new model policy that will help ensure the responsible and safe use of generative AI by California courts. Courts will be able to adopt or modify the model policy as needed. “This is a positive step in a rapidly developing area,” said Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, who last year announced the launch of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force to evaluate generative AI for its potential benefits to courts and court users while mitigating risks to safeguard the public. “We must balance the issues you’ve identified: accountability, transparency, confidentiality, and privacy protection.” Model AI Policy Includes Court Input, Creates Safeguards To ensure input from the policy’s eventual users, the task force surveyed state courts. The task force asked courts about any existing policies and ways in which they are (or are not) using generative AI. “We learned what topics courts intended to cover in their use policies, but also that many were waiting for guidance from the task force and the Judicial Council before drafting their own,” said Justice Mary J. Greenwood, a member of the AI task force. “That helped us establish what the task force should be working on.” Justice Greenwood shared that the model policy will provide courts with general guidelines for using generative AI in their daily, non-adjudicative duties, which includes direction on: Reviewing generative AI material for accuracy, completeness, errors, and hallucinations   Ensuring AI material is not biased, offensive, or harmful   Disclosing if generative AI outputs make up a substantial portion of a written or visual work provided to the public Working on More AI Guidance for Court Staff and Judges In addition to introducing the model AI policy, the task force also detailed its ongoing work. The task force plans to develop further direction for courts adopting their own generative AI policies, as well as guidance for judicial officers using AI in their adjudicative role. The task force hopes to develop a rule of court and a standard of judicial administration on these additional issues in the coming months. Watch Other Items on Council Meeting Agenda: Caseflow Management Update: The chairs of the council’s Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee and Court Executives Advisory Committee told meeting attendees that effective caseflow management is “a duty of both judges and court executive officers” and that “resolving cases in a timely manner is critical to ensuring court users’ rights are protected.” The presenters also shared that courts use technology and data to measure caseflow and to help them ensure compliance with standards for the timely disposition of cases. A council caseflow management subcommittee will convene in March to continue working on the issue and will keep the council updated on its progress. Watch Certification Programs for American Sign Language (ASL) Court Interpreters: To help increase the number of ASL interpreters, the council approved revised guidelines to modernize the application process for program certification, support the recognition of additional ASL court interpreter testing entities as they become available, and maintain rigorous certification standards while expanding the pool of qualified interpreters. ASL interpreting is the fourth-most interpreted language in the California courts.  Watch Addressing Costs to Provide Court Interpreters: The council voted to augment its funding for court interpreters to address shortfalls due to increasing costs and expenses. The allocations will help maintain current levels of interpreter services for court users. Watch Funding for Courthouse Lactation Spaces: The council approved a report to the Legislature that details how the judicial branch has added 32 new lactation spaces for the public at its courthouses, as well as plans to complete an additional 71 in the next 18 months. More state funding is needed to address the remaining, assessed need for an additional 154 more lactation spaces in superior court facilities statewide. Watch Partial Restoration of Trial Court Operations Funding: The council approved the allocation of the approximately $42 million funding restoration provided by the state to partially offset the $97 million reduction to trial court operations funding included in the Budget Act of 2024. The funding restoration will help courts restore services and expand clerk counter hours for the public that were decreased in response to the $97 million reduction. Watch New Judicial Council Member Sworn in: Chief Justice Guerrero swore in the council’s newest member Assistant Presiding Judge Ricardo R. Ocampo, whose term on the council began Jan. 1, 2025, and will run to Sept. 14, 2027. He replaces Judge Michelle Williams Court, who was appointed to the federal bench in November 2024. Watch The complete meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center--an archived webcast of today’s meeting will be posted to the center as soon as it is available. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/2024-year-review-judicial-council-california 2024 Year in Review: Judicial Council of CaliforniaCorren, Blaine Tue, 12/17/2024 - 15:52 Feature In 2024, California’s Chief Justice, the Judicial Council, and the courts continued their efforts to improve court operations, enhance services, and expand access to the justice system for the public. The following are highlights of those efforts: Chief Justice Delivers 2024 State of the Judiciary AddressChief Justice Patricia Guerrero delivered her annual State of the Judiciary address to the California Legislature. In her remarks, she emphasized her goals for the judicial branch, which include accountability in the use of public resources, efficient caseflow management, and safeguarding the integrity of the court and judicial decision-making. She also affirmed the judicial branch’s commitment to enhancing access to justice for the people of California. Using technology as an example, she explained how the courts are helping to increase access through remote services and tools—including 24/7 e-filing, access to online records and research, self-help resources, and remote appearances. A recent Judicial Council report showed that approximately 150,000 remote civil proceedings are conducted statewide each month; and more than 90% of court users and 98% of court staff reported positive experiences.   Online Tool to Request Reductions to Traffic Tickets Goes StatewideThe MyCitations online tool 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. Launched in the first court in April 2019, the MyCitations tool was successfully implemented in all 58 counties before July 1, 2024. Since its launch, more than 183,000 litigants have submitted requests to reduce their fines, resulting in more than $65 million in reductions. Adding to the MyCitations 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.   Filling the Justice Gap: Expanding Services for People Without AttorneysThe statewide Pathways to Justice conference brought together members of the legal community to highlight services and tools to help court users in civil cases who can’t afford attorneys. Cosponsored by the Judicial Council of California, the State Bar of California, and the Legal Aid Association of California, conference attendees included nonprofit legal services providers, private bar pro bono volunteers, and staff from court departments and self-help centers. The conference highlighted a broad range of strategies used to expand access to the legal system, including technology, AI, childcare, pro bono work, lawyer referral services, and language access. It also offered training in areas like housing, family law, and domestic violence, in which parties are often without attorneys.   California Courts Launch CARE Act StatewideThis year all 58 trial courts in California began accepting petitions under the CARE Act, which authorizes specified people to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan that can include treatment, housing support, and other services for persons with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Per the CARE Act statute, implementation started in October 2023, with seven counties (Glenn, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Stanislaus, Tuolumne), and Los Angeles County followed two months later. The remaining 50 counties met the legislative deadline for accepting petitions by Dec. 2, 2024. Since the CARE Act took effect, the council has supported the rollout by: Creating new court rules and forms, as well as fact sheets, webinars, and videos to educate courts and the public about the CARE Act process   Meeting with courts and county stakeholders—including monthly office hours—to gauge progress, identify challenges, and provide technical assistance   Helping translate court documents and videos into other languages, including Spanish, Khmer, Tagalog, and Farsi   Collecting data on the program’s implementation, which it reports quarterly to the California Department of Health Care Services Statewide CARE Act data has shown the number of petitions filed each month has been relatively steady since its launch in the early implementing counties—with a total of 869 petitions filed from Oct. 1, 2023, through Oct. 31, 2024. During that same time, courts ordered more than 175 care agreements and plans, and 516 petitions were still being actively engaged.   Pilot Program to Address Court Interpreters ShortageA retiring workforce, geographic constraints, and testing capacity are making it difficult for courts to meet the demand for interpreting. To address the shortage of interpreters, the state’s judicial branch launched a five-year pilot program to hire more court interpreter employees, dedicating $6.8 million in funding made available from the 2023 Budget Act. The Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program reimburses participants for costs associated with their training, coursework, and up to three examination fees. Program graduates must also agree to work for the courts for at least three years after passing all the required exams and enroll with the Judicial Council as a court interpreter. Twenty superior courts are participating in the first cohort of the program and collectively received more than 1,000 applications. Each court may have up to 10 candidates per year. Applications for cohort 2 will open in spring 2025.   Courts Continue to Improve the Juror ExperienceRecognizing the integral role jurors play in our justice system, following are some recent judicial branch initiatives to improve jury service in California: Pilot program in seven trial courts to improve juror diversity and participation by increasing juror pay from $15 a day to $100 per day and the mileage reimbursement from $0.34 to $0.67 per mile roundtrip—the pilot will end by early 2026 or when the funding is exhausted, whichever comes first   Pilot project in Stanislaus County to test the feasibility of paying jurors electronically via Zelle to shorten the time for jurors to get paid at the conclusion of their service and reduce administrative costs for the court—the council’s Court Executives Advisory Committee will review the pilot findings and consider a statewide rollout   Continuing to increase the use of telephone standby and on-call options for jury service, where individuals can check the night, and sometimes the week before, whether they will be asked to come to court in person   Providing jurors brochures with mental health information and strategies to cope with any service-related stress they may experience In addition, the council recently approved simplifying the language used for the oaths administered to jurors and prospective jurors to ensure they fully understand the oaths before voir dire and prior to being seated for a jury trial.   Thousands of Volunteers Advocate for Children in CourtThe council approved $2.713 million in grants to help fund 45 CASA programs that help support children when they must move to new homes for their own protection. During this time of transition, judicial officers can appoint them a CASA (court appointed special advocate), a trained volunteer that advocates for children in juvenile court. CASA volunteers spend time with the child, monitor their needs, and provide child-focused recommendations on services and education based on the best interests of the child. Unlike other mentoring programs, CASAs serve as an officer of the court, trained on topics such as the impact of trauma on children, cultural competency, and dependency laws. More than 7,000 CASA volunteers serve approximately 11,000 children, donating 400,000 hours per year to help children, judges, and other professionals in the state’s juvenile courts. Despite this enormous impact, more CASAs are needed for the roughly 70,000 children in foster care.   25th Anniversary of Court Adoption and Permanency MonthMore than two decades of collaborative efforts among the Judicial Council, the superior courts, and partners in child welfare has achieved positive progress in improving adoption and permanency in California. Comparing data from 1999 and 2023, the number of children entering foster care for the first time decreased by 51%, and the number of children living apart from their families decreased by 58%. In addition, the council approved new court forms to simplify, clarify, and provide additional guidance for parents during the adoption process. The revised “How to Adopt a Child in California” form now clarifies the necessary steps to finalize distinct types of adoptions, including adoptions of children of Native American ancestry. The council also approved a new form specifically designed for stepparent adoptions. Court self-help center staff identified stepparent adoptions as the most common types for which they provide assistance and the ones having the most confusing processes for self-represented litigants.   New Courthouses Improve Safety, Service for Court UsersThe judicial branch completed new courthouses in Menifee (Riverside County) and Redding (Shasta County). The new buildings address overcrowding, security, and accessibility issues, and help consolidate and improve court services for their communities. Since assuming responsibility for court construction in 2002, the council has completed 35 new courthouses, and another 16 are underway in various stages. These include new court facilities in both large and small counties, as well as urban and rural areas across the state. California Improving Courthouse SustainabilitySustainability efforts employed at courthouses across the state continue to use green energy, reduce emissions, and improve waste management. The judicial branch has already achieved either gold or silver LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for 21 courthouses across the state and has seven more certifications in progress. LEED certification is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance “green” buildings. Those “green” strategies include water conservation, solar panels, EV (electric vehicle) charger stations, and setting sustainability standards for courthouse construction. The latest California Trial Court Facilities Standards approved in September of this year target a 12% increase in water conservation and a 15% increase in energy efficiency—or more if budgets allow—for future new courthouse projects. Additional long-term goals include electrifying heating systems and increasing the use of renewable energy.   Chief Justice Creates Task Force on Use of Generative AI in the California CourtsThe judicial branch launched a new judicial branch task force to evaluate generative artificial intelligence (AI) for its potential benefits to courts and court users while mitigating risks to safeguard the public. Earlier this year, Chief Justice Guerrero asked Justice Mary Greenwood and Judge Arturo Castro to help identify the foundational questions the California court system must consider regarding the appropriate uses of AI. In response to their report, Chief Justice Guerrero announced the following next steps for the judicial branch: Create an AI task force to oversee the consideration and development of branch actions that address generative AI, such as rules of court, technology policies, educational programs, and legislative proposals   Work with Supreme Court ethics committees to develop guidance on how judicial officers should navigate ethical issues associated with generative AI   Provide education for judicial officers, court professionals, and council staff that focuses on the uses, benefits, and risks of generative AI   Cybersecurity for the Courts The judicial branch made strides in safeguarding the courts and their personnel against cyber threats. A key focus was education, highlighted by a series of interactive cybersecurity webinars that equipped judicial officers and judicial branch staff with critical knowledge to protect both institutional and personal digital assets. Topics included recognizing phishing attempts, securing devices, and mitigating risks. To reinforce these efforts, the branch conducted phishing exercises throughout the year, enabling staff to practice identifying and responding to simulated threats in real time. These exercises not only improved awareness but also strengthened the branch's overall defense mechanisms against cyberattacks. Additionally, the courts bolstered cybersecurity by expanding endpoint protection, ensuring devices are better equipped to detect, prevent, and respond to threats. Reduction to Court Budgets Impacts Service to the Public In addition to a $97 million reduction to the trial courts, the fiscal year 2024-25 state budget also called for a commensurate reduction of 7.95% to the state-level judiciary, which includes the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, Habeas Corpus Resource Center, and the Judicial Council. To help manage the reductions, many of the state's trial courts froze hiring, adopted furloughs, and reduced hours at their clerks’ offices and public counters. Despite the cutbacks, the courts are making every effort to minimize delays and preserve public access to justice. The Judicial Council also implemented proactive cost-saving measures, such as hiring freezes, reduced travel, and shifting meetings online. Court leaders continued outreach to their local legislators to educate them on the work of the courts, and to communicate the operational impacts the budget cuts are having on court services to the public.   California Continues Work to Diversify the BenchThe council surveys California justices and judges at the end of each year to get a snapshot of the demographics of the California bench—including gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. For the 18th straight year since tracking this data, the number of women and people of color on the bench has increased. Female judicial officers now constitute 41% of our judges. The number of Asian, Black, and Hispanic judges has doubled during that same time. Supporting the goal of “Access, Fairness, Diversity, and Inclusion,” the council’s diversity initiatives also include the Judicial Mentor Program, a statewide undertaking between the executive and judicial branches to develop and recruit qualified and diverse judicial applicants for the state’s appellate and superior courts. The appellate and superior courts have also started their own local mentor programs. The council also created an online toolkit called Pathways to Judicial Diversity. The toolkit has resources designed to help judges and courts reach out to diverse law students and attorneys and encourage them to pursue judicial careers.   Judicial Branch Continues to Expand Civic LearningThe Chief Justice's Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative continued to expand its reach into more California’s schools. The initiative’s Civic Learning Awards program encourages K-12 public schools to share how they promote opportunities for students inside the classroom and in their communities. The program has presented the Civic Learning Award 540 times to 343 schools in the last decade—21 elementary, middle, and high schools across California were recognized in 2024. Schools at the highest level, Award of Excellence, traditionally receive a visit from California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, while judges from other courts present the awards of Distinction, Merit, and Honorable Mention.  The initiative’s Judges in the Classroom program enables teachers to invite judges to visit their classrooms (either in-person or virtual) and engage their classes in lessons on the U.S. Constitution, Rule of Law, Voting Rights, or Historical Milestones in the making of our democracy. In 2024, the Judges in the Classroom program engaged 30% more courts and schools than it did last year. Currently, 353 volunteer judges representing 32 counties around the state support the initiative. Last school year alone, the program reached more than 13,000 students.   Judicial Branch Honors Individuals for Outstanding Service The Judicial Council honored three recipients with its 2024 Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes people and organizations for their extraordinary leadership and contributions to the administration of justice in California. This year’s recipients—Justice William W. Bedsworth, Judge Terry B. Friedman (Ret.), and Court Executive Officer Melissa Fowler-Bradley—were honored for their work related to advocating for civility within the legal profession, improving the court system for families and children, and leading court-based innovations to better serve the public. Watch these videos to learn about all of this year's award recipients. Chief Justice Guerrero and the Judicial Council also honored the thousands of additional public servants of California's judicial branch the first week of May during Public Service Recognition Week. This video below, produced by the council, highlights six of California's dedicated public servants, who speak about why they choose to serve in the judicial branch. Overview of Judicial Council Programs and Services Under the leadership of the Chief Justice and in accordance with the California Constitution, the Judicial Council is responsible for ensuring the consistent, independent, impartial, and accessible administration of justice. The council carries out this mission through the work of its advisory bodies and staff that help develop and implement the policies and solutions to the issues confronting the California court system. The council also provides direct programs and services in multiple areas to ensure the courts can maintain meaningful access to the justice system for the public. Examples of just some of those service areas include: Budget, accounting, procurement, and audits—including management, distribution, and reporting on billions of dollars in court funding each year   Human resources—including HR and payroll administration for the nearly 3,000 state justices, judges, and appellate court and judicial branch employees   Information technology—including oversight for the California Courts public website, which averages 75,000 visitors per month   Education and training for judges and court staff—including more than 150 courses, webinars, videos, and podcasts per year   Courthouse construction, management, and emergency planning and security—including management of approximately 450 court facilities encompassing more than 19.8 million square feet, and annually completing more than 1,700 facility modification projects and addressing roughly 115,000 building service work orders   Legal services—including the annual development of hundreds of new and amended court rules and forms, and providing counsel on thousands of legal matters and agreements for the courts each year   Legislative advocacy—including the annual tracking of nearly 1,000 bills and the submission of approximately 50 position letters   Public affairs—including answering more than 2,000 inquiries for information from media and the public each year More information on the Judicial Council ____________________________________________________________________ Stay connected in 2025 by subscribing to the California Courts Newsroom and Twitter/X feed. (See bottom of this page for links) https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/pilot-program-address-court-interpreters-shortage Pilot Program to Address Court Interpreters Shortageelaine.chan Tue, 08/27/2024 - 09:35 Feature Interpreters help provide litigants with meaningful access to the justice system by ensuring they understand court proceedings and have a way to accurately communicate with the court. To further increase language access to California courts, the state’s judicial branch recently launched a five-year pilot program to hire more court interpreter employees, dedicating $6.8 million in funding made available from the 2023 Budget Act. “More than 200 languages and dialects are spoken in California,” said David Yamasaki, court executive officer for the Superior Court of Orange County, during an update on the program provided at the July 12 Judicial Council business meeting. “Without proper language assistance from court interpreters, limited-English-proficient court users may be excluded from meaningful participation in the court process." Watch Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program presentation at July 12 Judicial Council business meeting. How The Pilot Program WorksThe Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program reimburses participants for costs associated with their training, coursework, and up to three examination fees. Candidates will have two years to pass all required exams and may apply to be in the next cohort if applicable. They must also submit six-month progress reports to the Judicial Council, agree to work for the courts for at least three years after passing all the required exams, and enroll with the Judicial Council as a court interpreter. Twenty superior courts have signed up to participate in the program. Each court may have up to 10 candidates per year. As of Aug. 1 (the deadline for aspiring interpreters to apply for the first phase of the program), the 20 courts have collectively received 1,114 applications: 309 (27%) of the candidates are current court employees interested in becoming interpreters 805 (72%) are non-court employees 1,000 (90%) are fluent in Spanish, followed by Punjabi (2.2%) Shortage of Court Interpreter EmployeesCalifornia has the largest court interpreter workforce in the nation. However, the number of court interpreter employees has been decreasing in recent years—there were 799 court employees in 2021-22, compared to 717 in 2023-24. In fiscal year 2022-23, Spanish was the most frequently interpreted language in courts, followed by Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Cantonese. The number of interpreted events in Spanish that year was 377,070, but only 1,310 Spanish interpreters were available, highlighting the urgent need for more interpreters. The pilot program aims to help address the challenges courts are facing to mitigate the court interpreter shortage, including an aging and retiring interpreter workforce, geographic constraints limiting availability, and test capacity impacted by the pandemic. “As the largest trial court in the nation, we serve a rich diversity of communities that speak over 200 languages,” said Presiding Judge Samantha P. Jessner of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. “We embrace the opportunity to partner with newly certified and registered interpreters to show them firsthand the valuable and meaningful careers they can have in court interpreting. We look forward to mentoring them as they join our ranks and learn about the critical public service they can provide to non-English speakers seeking meaningful access to justice.” In addition to participating in the state’s Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program, the Los Angeles Superior Court also launched its own in-house Interpreter Training Program that offers current court employees the opportunity to participate in on-the-job training to become a certified interpreter. Next StepsInformation pertaining to cohort 2 and a list of participating courts will be available on the Court Interpreter Workforce Pilot Program webpage in the spring of 2025. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/judicial-council-allocates-funding-trial-courts-97-million-required-cut Judicial Council Allocates Funding to Trial Courts With $97 Million Required CutCorren, Blaine Fri, 07/12/2024 - 13:07 News Release SAN FRANCISCO—The Judicial Council at its July 12 meeting approved funding allocations to the trial courts, which includes a $97 million reduction to local trial courts as required by the fiscal year 2024-25 budget. “What we are doing is making a decision in how to spread the reduction among all of the trial courts in the most fair manner possible,” said Judge Jonathan Conklin, chair of the council’s Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee. “The goals were equity, transparency, and stability.” In addition to the $97 million reduction to the trial courts, the state budget also calls for a commensurate reduction of 7.95% to the state-level judiciary, which includes the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, Habeas Corpus Resource Center, and the Judicial Council. “The courts are vital to the public and the fair administration of justice,” said Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. “We will continue to raise our concerns about the real-life impact of these cuts on Californians throughout the state who rely on our courts. Despite these challenges, we will continue to work diligently to mitigate and manage impacts to the courts and to the public we serve.” Despite the reductions caused by the state’s multiyear deficit, the budget includes funding for priorities set by Chief Justice Guerrero and the Judicial Council to maintain critical programs and services provided by the branch, such as: Backfill funding to address declining fines, fees, and penalty revenues that support trial court operations across all 58 counties   Resources for the growing number of self-represented litigants   Courthouse construction and facility operations and maintenance The budget also includes funding for pretrial programs, court-appointed dependency counsel, court interpreters, and continuing implementation of the CARE Act. Watch Increasing Numbers of Court Interpreters The council received an update on a pilot program to increase the number of court employee interpreters by reimbursing aspiring candidates for their training costs and up to three examination fees. “More than 200 languages and dialects are spoken in California,” said David Yamasaki, court executive officer for the Superior Court of Orange County. “Without proper language assistance from court interpreters, limited-English-proficient users may be excluded from meaningful participation in the court process. The workforce pilot program is an important and timely vehicle to help increase our number of court interpreters and assist the courts in meeting the needs of California’s 6.8 million limited-English-proficient residents and potential court users.” At its previous meeting in May, the council allocated $6.8 million provided in the fiscal year 2023-24 state budget for the five-year pilot program. Twenty superior courts have signed up to participate. As part of the pilot program: Participating courts will hire successful candidates after they pass all required exams   Candidates must agree up front to work for court for at least three years   Courts can accept up to 10 candidates per court, per year The 20 participating courts collectively have already received more than 500 applications from aspiring interpreters. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1. WatchOther Items on Council Meeting Agenda: Five-Year Plan for Courthouse Construction Projects: The council approved an update to the Judicial Branch Five-Year Infrastructure Plan, which outlines funding needs for new courthouse construction, renovations, and additions to existing facilities. The council also approved eight budget change proposals, which is how the branch requests funding for phases of trial court construction projects in the first year of the five-year plan. The council will submit the updated plan and the eight budget change proposals to the state Department of Finance. Watch Funding for Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program: The council approved allocations to fund 45 CASA programs that serve 52 California counties. Judicial officers appoint trained CASA volunteers that advocate for children in juvenile court. CASA volunteers spend time with the child, monitor their needs, and provide child-focused recommendations to the court based on the best interests of the child. More than 7,000 CASA volunteers serve approximately 11,000 children, donating 400,000 hours per year to help children, judges, and other professionals in the state’s juvenile courts. Watch Funding for Child Support Commissioner and Family Law Facilitator Program: The council approved the annual funding allocation for the AB 1058 Child Support Commissioner and Family Law Facilitator program. Each superior court must have a child support commissioner, a judicial officer that specializes in hearing child support cases. Each court must also have a family law facilitator, a lawyer that can help litigants understand and navigate the child support system by providing educational materials, assisting with forms, and making referrals to other resources. The funding helps increase meaningful access for litigants involved in family court proceedings. Watch Budget Change Proposals: The council agreed to submit eight budget change proposals to the Department of Finance for consideration in the fiscal year 2025-26 budget. Attempting to balance investment in core programs and services against the state’s budget deficit, these proposals include additional funding for court security, courthouse construction and maintenance, and court-appointed counsel programs for the Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeal. Watch The complete meeting agenda and council reports are posted to the California Courts Meeting Information Center--an archived webcast of today’s meeting will be posted to the center as soon as it is available.