https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/ en https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/judge-ana-espana-named-2025-wilmont-sweeney-juvenile-court-judge-year Judge Ana España Named 2025 Wilmont Sweeney Juvenile Court Judge of the YearKaren.Datangel Wed, 05/21/2025 - 12:48 News Release San Diego County Judge Ana España received the Wilmont Sweeney Juvenile Court Judge of the Year award for 2025 from the Juvenile Court Judges of California (JCJC), a section of the California Judges Association. The JCJC presented the award at its annual meeting on May 15.  The Wilmont Sweeney award, named for the late judge from the Alameda Superior Court, honors judicial officers who exemplify leadership and innovative dedication to California’s youth. Judge España has presided over the juvenile court in San Diego County since 2018. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her to the bench in 2008. Prior to her appointment, Judge España served as a deputy public defender with the Primary Public Defender of San Diego County and created a specialized unit to represent children in the dependency system. Judge España champions a “Kin-First” culture in San Diego’s child welfare system to prioritize the placement of children with relatives and extended family. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero highlighted this effort throughout the state in her 2025 State of the Judiciary Address, citing a 10% increase in safe family placements in San Diego County. “Placement with kin, whenever possible, helps ease the pain of removal from a parent and is so important to a child's well-being," said Judge España. "I am thankful to my colleagues and our justice partners who have worked so hard to increase our kin placements and hope to do even better as we continue our work together.” Judge España also holds town halls and works collaboratively with local agencies and Native American tribes in the county. “By integrating culturally appropriate services, I believe there is more youth/family buy-in and it's more meaningful and relevant to the youth and family. And frankly, it’s just a matter of respect as well,” Judge España said of partnering with tribes in a 2024 interview. Judge España developed the Youth Justice Collaborative in San Diego County to provide a forum for justice partners to address issues in the juvenile court system and leads the San Diego County Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board, whose mission is to encourage cross-sector collaboration and support the needs of children, youth, and families in the child welfare system. “Throughout her career, Judge España has embodied the values of compassion, integrity, and visionary leadership,” said Presiding Judge Maureen Hallahan of the San Diego Superior Court. “Her influence reaches beyond San Diego, making her a respected figure throughout California. She continues to shape juvenile law and policy, always putting the well-being of youth at the forefront.” In addition to her current role on the bench, Judge España serves as chair of the JCJC. She also serves as a member of the Judicial Council’s Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee and the Juvenile Law Curriculum Committee for the Center for Judicial Education and Research. See past recipients of the Wilmont Sweeney Juvenile Court Judge of the Year Award. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/california-high-school-students-compete-become-2025-state-mock-trial-championship-team California High School Students Compete to Become 2025 State Mock Trial Championship TeamKaren.Datangel Tue, 03/11/2025 - 16:51 Feature Update (Mar. 17, 2025): Trinity Pacific Christian School in Ventura County will once again represent the state of California as the winner of the statewide finals and will advance to the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Phoenix, Arizona from May 7-10. See results here. Thousands of students all over the state have donned their best suits and public speaking skills as they acted out various roles in the courtroom. Now it’s time to see who takes top honors.  After weeks of competition, students from 32 California counties gear up for this year's finals of the California Mock Trial Competition, which takes place in Los Angeles from March 14-16.  Participants will argue the fictitious kidnapping case People v. Gold. The defendant Logan Gold has been charged with the kidnapping of Taylor Alexander, who is a rival candidate to Gold’s spouse Harper Dorais in a city council race in the rural mountain town of Emerald Bend, California. Gold is the assistant campaign manager to their spouse and is also the sole hotel owner in town. The prosecution argues that Gold had political and financial motives for abducting Alexander. The defense argues that Gold was without a cell phone and GPS tracking the day Alexander was abducted, which was the day of the city council candidate debate. The pretrial issue centers on a defense motion to exclude a potentially incriminating statement made by Gold while in police custody.  Teach Democracy (formerly known as the Constitutional Rights Foundation) created the California Mock Trial Program in 1980. The statewide program stemmed from a successful model in Los Angeles County and helps students acquire a working knowledge of the judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society.  In addition to the mock trials themselves, counties award individual honors to students in courtroom artist and journalist contests.  Check out some highlights from different county competitions in our interactive map below (If you are unable to view the map below, click here). If you wish for your county to be included, contact courtnews@jud.ca.gov with information, photos, and links. California high schools have placed in first or second place four times in the National Mock Trial Competition since 1984. Year School County Place 1989 John Marshall High School Los Angeles 2nd 1994 Arlington High School Riverside 1st 2005 Tamalpais High School Marin 1st 2013 La Reina High School Ventura 2nd https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/california-native-american-day-highlights-support-states-native-communities California Native American Day Highlights Support for State's Native CommunitiesKaren.Datangel Thu, 09/26/2024 - 13:50 Feature This Friday, California courts will close in observance of the California Native American Day state holiday. But courts are also taking the opportunity to recognize Native American people and celebrate their history in the state. San Bernardino Court Honors Tribal Communities  In 2021, Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland), the first Native American to serve in the state legislature, authored AB 855 to amend the Code of Civil Procedure to recognize California Native American Day on the fourth Friday of September as a judicial holiday. The Judicial Council-sponsored bill was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom to take effect the next year. This week, Assemblymember Ramos took part in a California Native American Day celebration outside of the Superior Court of San Bernardino County, where cultural performers took part in traditional song and dance. ABC7 featured the celebration and spoke with Ramos and Judge Lisa Rogan, presiding judge for the Superior Court of San Bernardino County. "We are calling on other counties - superior court counties - to partner with tribal people from those areas to highlight the paid holiday of California's Native American Day," Ramos said. "All throughout San Bernardino County we have so much cultural awareness with our tribal family and to celebrate them as California's first people is extremely important to not only the employees but the people of our community," said Judge Rogan. Partnerships Between the State Court and Tribal Justice Systems Partnership Benefits Youth in San Diego CountyThe Intertribal Court of Southern California (“ICSC”) and the Superior Court of San Diego County collaborate to address the needs of Tribal youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. With the support of the superior court, the ICSC has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the District Attorney's Office and Probation Department to divert youth to the ICSC Tribal Youth Court, where peers serve as decision-makers to cultivate wellness-based responses. Additionally, because of the Tribal and state court partnership in San Diego, the county's probation department now has improved reporting in identifying Tribal youth. The collaboration started in 2021 and is led by Ana España, Presiding Juvenile Court Judge in the Superior Court of San Diego County, and Devon L. Lomayesva, Chief Judge of the Intertribal Court of Southern California. "The Tribes can inform the [state] court of culturally appropriate services that can be incorporated into a probation youth case plan," said Judge España. "By integrating culturally appropriate services, I believe there is more youth/family buy-in and it's more meaningful and relevant to the youth and family. And frankly, it’s just a matter of respect as well." "When youth in the system have that Tribal support, you're bringing in a component that they're familiar with, which improves their self-identity, helps them feel more grounded, and promotes their self-worth," said Chief Judge Lomayesva. "We're always going to be partners with our counties and if the youth can't be within their Tribal system, the services and settings should be culturally appropriate and be familiar with the Tribes they serve." Tribal Court-State Court Forum Formed in 2010, the Judicial Council's Tribal Court-State Court Forum improves the working relationship between California’s tribal and state courts and makes recommendations on matters where tribal and state courts overlap. The forum, made up of judges and members of both the tribal and state court communities, provides direction in areas such as: Jurisdictional issues Enforcement and recognition of protective orders and judgments Access to justice in Indian country in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and teen dating violence The forum also gathers data and develops resources relevant to Native American communities and tribal justice systems. In addition, the forum helps create rules, forms, and legislation relating to child support, guardianship, civil money judgments, and other areas involving state and tribal courts. At its September business meeting, the Judicial Council approved two new forms and revisions to four existing forms to clarify that the requirement to recognize and enforce child custody orders under the provisions of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act applies to custody orders issued by a tribal court. Tribal court judges report they have experienced problems having their child custody orders registered and enforced because the existing form refers only to out-of-state custody orders and does not reference tribal court orders. Judicial Council Offers Resources on Native American IssuesWith federal and state funding, the council maintains a Tribal/State Programs unit that provides legal services and technical assistance to local courts on inter-jurisdictional issues across all case types. That unit also assists with the development of policies, positions, and programs to ensure the highest quality of justice and service for California’s Native American communities. The unit provides staff to the council’s Tribal Court-State Court Forum and the California Child Welfare's CSEC Action Team, and develops resources to assist those involved in Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) proceedings understand their legal obligations under ICWA and comply with those requirements. The Tribal/State Programs Unit also worked on the Violence Against Women Education Project (VAWEP), an initiative designed to provide tribal and state courts with information, supplies, technical assistance, educational materials, and programs on the role of the courts in responding to cases involving domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and human trafficking. Read more about Tribal Communities in California.  https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/how-judicial-branch-attorneys-contributed-community-2023 How Judicial Branch Attorneys Contributed to the Community in 2023Balassone, Merrill Tue, 12/26/2023 - 10:43 News Release As the Taliban closed in, Masooda Qazi fled Afghanistan with her most important possession taped to her chest—her law degree from Kabul University. Qazi had been ranked first in her law school class before joining international organizations and the U.S. Embassy. Over a decade, she drafted laws criminalizing violence against women and led anti-corruption efforts. When she finally arrived in San Diego after a difficult journey, Qazi found support from judicial officers and attorneys at the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One and San Diego Superior Court. Today, she is a paralegal in the San Diego County Public Defender’s office. Qazi and her husband, also a refugee lawyer now at a firm, hope to take the California Bar Exam in the coming years. “It’s a rag tag bunch of us, and we’re learning as we go,” said attorney Mytili Bala, who spearheaded the South Asian Bar Association’s Afghan Outreach Project. “Each placement changes a life and in turn helps people rebuild their communities.” She added: “We want to not only mentor refugee-lawyers, but also learn from them about protecting the rule of law.” In San Francisco, 50 attorneys who work for the California Supreme Court and First District Court of Appeal have also logged hundreds of pro bono hours during 2023. “I’m extremely proud of our judicial branch attorneys for taking on the commitment to pro bono legal work,” said Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. “Attorneys who volunteer their free time are crucial to helping California close the justice gap for people who need but cannot afford legal help.” Erin Rosenberg, a staff attorney for Chief Justice Guerrero, launched a listserve in 2019 to provide pro bono opportunities that meet the guidelines for judicial attorneys. Those who work for the branch are barred from taking cases that might come before the court, for example. “The immediate impact of this work is a nice change of pace from the long-term nature of the appellate work we do,” Rosenberg said. “As public servants, it’s important to share our expertise and support our community where we can.” Among the other ways judicial branch attorneys made a difference in 2023: Constitution Month: Attorneys visited classrooms in Santa Clara and San Diego in September for Constitution Month to help teach students about the Constitution, judicial branch, and role of the courts.Dylan Calsyn, a staff attorney for Chief Justice Guerrero, said his experience visiting a third-grade classroom in San Diego was especially meaningful to him after the recent death of his mother, a longtime teacher and principal. “I felt a real connection to this classroom and the teacher, who is working to engage the students and make them think about the world and how they want to run it,” Calsyn said. “Because they will be in charge one day.”   Judging Moot Court: Led by Tami Fisher, the Supreme Court’s director of Capital Central Staff, Supreme Court attorneys served as justices for a few hours, sitting as mock judges for students during several sessions of UC Law San Francisco’s Moot Court competition. “I am heartened so many of my colleagues lend their time and expertise to assisting the next generation of law students,” said Fisher, who teaches moot court and appellate advocacy courses. In 2024, a group of Supreme Court attorneys will begin a volunteer effort with the Unconditional Legal Clinic at GLIDE in San Francisco, which provides free legal advice to anyone in need. Historically, half of the clinic’s clients are homeless, and 75 percent are from minority communities.  https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/san-diego-courts-town-hall-explains-child-welfare-process-public San Diego Court’s Town Hall Explains the Child Welfare Process to the PublicCorren, Blaine Mon, 05/22/2023 - 15:31 Feature Nearly 40,000 calls alleging child abuse or neglect are made annually to the San Diego County’s hotline run by its Child Welfare Services agency. If social workers determine tips are credible and the child is at risk, they can ask the court to create a case to protect the child. But what happens next? A virtual town hall hosted last month by the Superior Court of San Diego County answered that question and more of the most common questions related to the child welfare system and juvenile dependency process. Questions included: Is each party to the case represented by an attorney? (answer: yes, if a party cannot afford a lawyer, the judge will appoint one—in most cases, the judge will also appoint an attorney for the child or nonminor dependent)   What happens if a parent doesn’t attend the initial court hearing? (answer: if the parents were notified and don’t appear, then the matter will go forward without them)   Does the court always place children with relatives? (answer: family is preferred, but if not available, then others with a connection to the family can be considered)   Image Panelists for the court's town hall included judges, attorneys, and representatives from local legal services agencies, Health & Human Services, and Child Welfare Services. “Court proceedings have several confidentiality requirements, which the public might see as a lack of transparency about the court, its processes, and the role of partner agencies,” said Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Ana Espana. “We want people to understand why and how we make our decisions, which are always in the best interests of the child.” Members of the public were encouraged to submit questions anonymously prior to the town hall through an online survey and had an opportunity to submit questions live during the event through the Q&A feature on Zoom. Of the 125 attendees who filled out the online post-event survey, all felt they got the information they wanted.   Image Panelists at the webinar for media included Judge Ana Espana (top right) and attorneys from the District Attorneys' Office and the Public Defender's Office. Court Holding More Outreach Events The April town hall was the first juvenile-focused webinar specifically for the public. But last October, the San Diego court held a webinar specifically for media that provided an overview of the juvenile justice system and what information reporters have access to when developing their stories. The panelists, which included judges and attorneys, explained what kinds of juvenile case information and proceedings are confidential and the considerations judges weigh when making those determinations.  The court plans to hold future outreach events later this year that will include panelists with lived experiences in juvenile dependency court and a discussion of changes to the child welfare system. For more information on the San Diego Superior Court’s Juvenile Court, please visit sdcourt.ca.gov/Juvenile.