https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/ en https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/judicial-council-sponsors-bill-celebrate-california-native-american-day Judicial Council Sponsors Bill to Celebrate California Native American Day Balassone, Merrill Wed, 02/17/2021 - 13:03 News Release From the Office of Assemblymember James C. Ramos SACRAMENTO—All state and local court employees would celebrate California Native American Day instead of Columbus Day if a bill introduced today is approved by the Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) said his measure, AB 855, makes California Native American Day, on the fourth Friday of September, a judicial holiday. Ramos’s bill swaps the present paid holiday on Columbus Day for California Native American Day. “For more than 20 years, I have worked to help create a day that recognizes the state’s first inhabitants and their history,” Ramos stated. "I applaud the Judicial Council for seeking to recognize the unique role of California Native Americans. Our state has the greatest number of Native Americans residing within its boundaries, and it is fitting that we begin to expand our commemoration of this holiday.” “The Judicial Council of California and its chair, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, are committed to providing equal access and fairness in our justice system,” said  Judge Marla O. Anderson, chair of the Judicial Council’s Legislation Committee. “By recognizing the importance of Native Americans we not only acknowledge our shortcomings in our state’s past treatment of them, we also celebrate their past and current contributions to our state.” AB 855 would amend the Code of Civil Procedure to recognize California Native American Day as a judicial holiday so as to provide proper recognition for Native American people and celebrate their history in the state. It would not create an additional paid holiday for judicial branch employees, but rather would exchange Columbus Day for California Native American Day. Court personnel are currently the only state workers receiving the paid October 12 holiday. The Judicial Council, which is sponsoring AB 855, voted in January to seek authority to ensure California Native American Day is designated as a judicial holiday. Ramos noted paid judicial holidays are designated in a different code section from holidays recognized by other state agencies. Non-judicial holidays are designated in the Government Code, but court holidays are established in the Code of Civil Procedure. "To be seen, it is a long awaited and welcomed first step by the justice system, the beginning of an effort to be inclusive of our first citizens," said Chief Judge Abby Abinanti, Yurok Tribe member and co-chair of the Tribal Court-State Court Forum. Ramos said he and other people began efforts to honor California Native Americans more than 20 years ago when he was a San Bernardino County supervisor. “We were aided by then-Assemblymember Joe Baca, who successfully introduced legislation in 1998 to create a non-paid official state holiday for California’s First People. Baca went on to introduce similar legislation as a Member of Congress.” https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/california-chief-justice-commemorates-constitution-day California Chief Justice Commemorates Constitution DaySoltysik, Penne Tue, 09/22/2020 - 15:15 News Release On Constitution Day, Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye led off the reading of the U.S. Constitution in an event organized by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. The Chief Justice shared in her opening remarks, "The Constitution is a social contract governing the duties and protections and rights of Government of the people." View archive of complete Livestream Justice Judith McConnell and several other members of the Chief Justice's Power of Democracy Steering Committee also participated. Also in recognition of Constitution Day, California judicial officers from 6 counties visited 38 classrooms for lessons on Constitutional Law, the Rule of Law, and the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The classes were from Civic Learning Award-winning schools invited to participate in a special Judges in the Classroom program created to deliver lessons to schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.  https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/california-counties-keeping-covid-19-emergency-bail-schedules California Counties Keeping COVID-19 Emergency Bail SchedulesJCC Fri, 07/10/2020 - 01:07 Feature At least 31 California counties home to nearly 80 percent of the state's residents have kept COVID-19 emergency bail schedules to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in jails and surrounding communities during the pandemic, according to data reported by superior courts. The Judicial Council in April adopted a statewide COVID-19 emergency bail schedule that set bail at $0 for most people accused–but not yet tried–of misdemeanors and lower-level felonies. Last month, the council rescinded the emergency measure as California began a phased re-opening and courts restored services shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Judicial Council's action better reflects the current needs of our state, which has different health concerns and restrictions county-to-county based on the threat posed by COVID-19," said council member Justice Marsha Slough. "We urge local courts to continue to use the emergency COVID-19 bail schedule where necessary to protect the health of the community, the courts, and the incarcerated. We are also asking courts to report back by June 20 on whether they plan to keep the COVID-19 emergency bail schedule, or another reduced bail schedule." Many counties adopted COVID-19 emergency bail schedules with some modifications, including imposing cash bail on those who were initially released on $0 bail and then are rearrested, or eliminating additional offenses from being considered for $0 bail. Some reverted to county bail schedules in place before the pandemic. The infographic below shows the prevalence of COVID-19 emergency bail schedules both by population and county:   FACT SHEET: California counties with COVID-19 emergency bail schedules (Link). https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/jury-service-begins-trials-delayed-covid-19-pandemic Jury Service Begins for Trials Delayed by COVID-19 PandemicMayo, Lynne Fri, 06/26/2020 - 12:26 Feature Normally around nine million Californians are summoned to jury service each year—but not this year. Delayed by COVID-19 for nearly three months in most parts of the state, the majority of California’s trial courts are just beginning to hold jury trials again or plan to start in the coming weeks.  Depending on local health requirements, building configurations, and the amount of jurors needed, superior courts are using a variety of strategies to ensure the courthouse is safe for people reporting for jury duty. Safety measures include: Remote completion of juror questionnaires and staggering juror reporting times Providing screening, facemasks, hand sanitizer, and extra cleaning—particularly high-touch surfaces Ensuring social distancing in courtrooms, jury assembly areas, elevators, and restrooms Shortening the time for verbal voir dire or questioning of jurors Public Service Announcements from Local Courts: Los Angeles County Mendocino County San Bernardino County Santa Clara County Tulare County Sacramento County In Placer County, the court utilizes space at Whitney High School to safely distance people reporting to jury duty. Some superior courts, like those in Merced, Placer, and Tulare counties, are asking prospective jurors to report for jury service at local gymnasiums, auditoriums, or other large spaces outside of the courthouse. These venues make it easier to conduct the initial juror check-in and selection process. In addition, courts instruct those who feel ill or who are in a sensitive group due to age or pre-existing health condition to contact the court to request postponement of jury service. For more information on your local superior court's procedures and services, visit California court websites. Judicial Council Helps Courts With COVID-19-Related Costs and Strategies The Judicial Council’s Trial Court Facility Modification Advisory Committee designated $5 million in statewide maintenance funds to reimburse courts for installing temporary safe distancing measures, which include items such as signage, reconfiguration of physical space, and physical barriers between courthouse occupants. In addition, a council working group of 23 volunteer judges and court executives released a 75-page resource guide to help the state’s trial courts with their pandemic continuity of operations, including jury service. The guide provides a range of considerations and approaches courts can draw from based on capacity and local health and safety regulations. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/council-working-group-releases-pandemic-recovery-resource-guide-courts Council Working Group Releases Pandemic Recovery Resource Guide for CourtsJCC Wed, 06/03/2020 - 09:10 News Release [This news release has been updated to include a link to the most recent version of the guide, which was posted here on Feb. 10, 2021] A Judicial Council working group of 23 volunteer judges and court executives released a resource guide to help the state’s trial courts with their pandemic continuity of operations, while providing a safe environment for court users, staff, and justice partners. Developed by the Pandemic Continuity of Operations Working Group, the guide addresses more than 200 questions and topics identified by the working group and contains a range of resources to address challenges related to facilities, personnel, jury management, case management and processing, and communications. The guide includes information on items such as: Screening courthouse visitors Defining one-way walking paths with floor markings Using acrylic or glass screens between court staff and the public Onsite reservation systems to control queues and waiting Spacing jurors during voir dire and trials The guide doesn’t contain rules or standards, but a range of considerations and approaches courts can draw from based on their particular situation, as well as local health and safety regulations. “The guide will not be a one-time, static publication, but an evolving resource that improves over time as courts use it and provide their feedback, experience, and additional best practices,” said the council’s Chief Operating Officer Rob Oyung. “This is version 1.0, and we expect to keep updating it over the next several months.” Additional Resources and Guidance to Local Courts In addition to the resource guide, the council’s facility modification committee agreed to designate $5 million in statewide maintenance funds to reimburse courts for temporary safe distancing measures related to courthouse operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reimbursable, temporary measures include items such as new signage, reconfiguring physical space to ensure social distancing, and creating physical barriers between courthouse occupants. The guide and facility modification funding are just two resources among a slate of emergency orders and rules approved by Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye or the Judicial Council of California in recent weeks to ensure California courts—which have remained open as "essential services" under Governor Newsom's stay-at-home executive order—can meet stringent health directives while also providing due process and access to justice.