https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/ en 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/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/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) https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/memoriam-justice-cruz-reynoso In Memoriam: Justice Cruz Reynoso Balassone, Merrill Mon, 06/14/2021 - 17:23 Feature Justice Cruz Reynoso (Credit: Pamela Reynoso) The California Supreme Court on June 2 honored the life of Justice Cruz Reynoso, the first Latino state Supreme Court justice in California history, during a special program following oral argument. Justice Reynoso passed away on May 7 at 90 years old. Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye said Justice Reynoso was a "revered member of our court, an incredible mentor in the legal profession as well as a distinguished voice in law." Justice Reynoso with Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye. Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar recounted Justice Reynoso’s upbringing as one of 11 children, who picked oranges alongside his farmworker parents during hot summers in Orange County. He would attend a segregated elementary school, serve in an Army counterintelligence unit, and become one of very few lawyers representing Spanish-speaking farm workers in the Imperial Valley. On the California Supreme Court, Justice Reynoso authored the landmark People v. Aguilar, where the court found non-English speaking people accused of a crime have the right to a translator during their entire court proceeding. In that opinion, Justice Reynoso wrote: “In the ethnic richness of California, a multiplicity of languages has been nurtured. Historically, many peoples speaking diverse tongues have formed large portions of our population. The people of this state, through the clear and express terms of their Constitution, require that all persons tried in a California court understand what is happening about them, for them, and against them. Who would have it otherwise?” Guest speakers included retired Supreme Court Justice Joseph R. Grodin; Judicial Appointments Secretary Luis Céspedes; UC Davis School of Law Dean Kevin R. Johnson; and Len ReidReynoso, Justice Reynoso’s son, who is also an attorney. ReidReynoso recalled an interview with his father when he was asked his favorite job during his career. He answered: sitting on the California Supreme Court. “Dad had worked on social justice issues for eight decades, but the job he enjoyed the most was a job that he was able to help and serve the most. Dad continued to teach us the value of helping others,” ReidReynoso said. Watch the tribute below: https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/public-webinar-how-get-multilingual-information-limited-english-court-users Public Webinar: How to Get Multilingual Information to Limited-English Court UsersCorren, Blaine Mon, 05/03/2021 - 11:04 News Release The Judicial Council and National Center for State Courts will conduct a free public webinar on how to use and distribute multilingual educational materials available to help limited-English speakers access the courts. Webinar Time: 12:15–1:00 p.m., May 13 The Judicial Council has developed a suite of multilingual materials across various formats to inform court users on common court procedures and about available language services. The webinar will show viewers how to provide materials to the limited-English speaking communities they serve, including website postings, social media channels, and hard-copy distribution at in-person resource centers. Court leadership and staff, local/county/ethnic bar associations, legal services organizations, community organizations, law libraries, and other language access stakeholders are encouraged to attend the webinar. Requests for an ASL or a spoken language interpreter should be made at least seven (7) business days before the webinar and directed to: Kimberly Brooke, NCSC, at kbrooke@ncsc.org Questions or comments on the webinar topics should be submitted to LAP@jud.ca.gov seven (7) business days prior to the session. For more information, to register, or to access previously recorded webinars: www.courts.ca.gov/languageaccess.htm Language Access NeedRoughly 20 percent of Californians—nearly 7 million—have some English-language limitations, making it difficult to access the courts without significant language assistance. To help address this need, the Judicial Council adopted the Strategic Plan for Language Access in the California Courts, which provides a consistent statewide approach to ensure language access for all limited-English speakers. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/public-webinar-informing-remote-and-linguistically-diverse-communities-about-court-language Public Webinar: Informing Remote and Linguistically Diverse Communities About Court Language Access ServicesCorren, Blaine Mon, 04/12/2021 - 09:45 News Release The Judicial Council and National Center for State Courts will conduct a free public webinar to review strategies for making limited-English speakers, including those in rural communities, aware of language services and multilingual materials available to increase their access to the court system. Webinar Time: 12:15–1:00 p.m., April 22 Justice partners, community organizations, and other language access stakeholders face challenges, including the digital divide, in serving diverse communities across California, particularly during the pandemic. This webinar will explore resources and services employed by courts in different regions to reach linguistically diverse and rural communities and build public trust and confidence in the courts. Justice partners, local/county bar associations, legal services organizations, community organizations, law libraries, and other language access stakeholders are encouraged to attend the webinar. Requests for an ASL or a spoken language interpreter should be made at least seven (7) business days before the webinar and directed to: Kimberly Brooke, NCSC, at kbrooke@ncsc.org Questions or comments on the webinar topics should be submitted to LAP@jud.ca.gov seven (7) business days prior to the session. For more information, to register, or to access previously recorded webinars: www.courts.ca.gov/languageaccess.htm Language Access NeedRoughly 20 percent of Californians—nearly 7 million—have some English-language limitations, making it difficult to access the courts without significant language assistance. To help address this need, the Judicial Council adopted the Strategic Plan for Language Access in the California Courts, which provides a consistent statewide approach to ensure language access for all limited-English speakers. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/branch-facts/language-access Language Access From fiscal year 2020–21 through fiscal year 2023–24, superior courts reported over 2.5 million interpretations. Languages and dialects spoken in California—more than 200 Percentage of Californians that speak a non-English language at home: 44% Percentage of Californians with English-language limitations: approximately 17.2% (approximately 6.4 million) Languages certified for court interpreters: American Sign Language and 12 spoken languages—Arabic, Armenian (Eastern), Cantonese, Farsi (Persian), Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi (India), Russian, Spanish, Filipino (Tagalog), and Vietnamese The top 10 most interpreted languages in courtroom proceedings statewide: Spanish (88%), followed by Mandarin, Vietnamese, American Sign Language, Punjabi, Cantonese, Arabic, Korean, Russian, Eastern Armenian, Farsi, and Tagalog What is Language Access? Language access allows limited English proficient (LEP) individuals access to a wide range of services. As defined by the U.S. Department of Justice, LEP individuals are persons who do not speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. How Language Access Impacts Court Users On January 22, 2015, the Judicial Council adopted the Strategic Plan for Language Access in the California Courts, which provides a consistent statewide approach to ensure language access for all LEP court users in California in all 58 superior courts. Court Interpreter Pool As of July 2024, there are 1,820 interpreters on the Judicial Council Master List of certified and registered court interpreters.  Multilingual Resources for LEP Court Users The Language Access Toolkit contains multilingual resources to help LEP court users understand how to work with an interpreter and better understand the court process. Image Soltysik, Penne Tue, 08/18/2020 - 15:13 Related Links Language Access Studies and Reports Judicial Council's Language Access Webpage Tags Language Access Sorting Weight 0