California Judicial Branch Dedicates New Sacramento Courthouse

SACRAMENTO—State and local officials, local judges and court staff, and California Supreme Court justices gathered last month to help commemorate the completion of the new Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse.

Full-size photos and captions from the dedication ceremony can also be seen on Flickr

Courthouse Named After Retired Chief Justice With Sacramento Roots
The courthouse dedication ceremony featured remarks from Presiding Judge Lawrence G. Brown, Court Executive Officer Kelly Sullivan, Administrative Presiding Justice Brad Hill, and Judicial Council Administrative Director Shelley Curran.

The speakers praised the new building and its ability to better serve the residents of Sacramento County. They also praised one specific Sacramento County resident for which the new courthouse is named in honor of: Former California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye.

Prior to serving as the first woman of color and the second female chief justice of California (2011-2023), Cantil-Sakauye served on the bench of the Sacramento Superior Court and the Sacramento-based Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District.

Speakers called Cantil-Sakauye “a giant and pioneer in the Sacramento and statewide legal community,” helping to define what it means to be a thoughtful, accountable, and courageous leader of the judicial branch.

Video about the need for and history of the new Sacramento courthouse project

New Courthouse Improves Services to the Public
Officially opened for business to the public in April, the courthouse provides a new 18-story, 53-courtroom courthouse of approximately 540,000 square feet in downtown Sacramento. The new building improves operational efficiency, access to justice, and overall public service through the consolidation of court operations and calendars, elimination of current space shortfall, increased security, and replacement of inadequate and obsolete facilities, including the existing Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse.

The Building Is Energy Efficient
The new Sacramento courthouse is built to LEED Silver status, as designated by the U.S. Green Building Council. This is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance “green” buildings. The courthouse’s sustainability features include drought-tolerant landscaping, water-efficient irrigation and plumbing systems, and energy-efficient lighting.

Courthouse Recognizes Indigenous Heritage
The new courthouse resides on land that has long been the ancestral territory of the Valley Nisenan, Southern Maidu, and Plains Miwok peoples. These Indigenous communities have served as stewards of this region since time immemorial, caring for and nurturing the land long before the establishment of the present-day court. Plaques around the perimeter of property embedded in some of the architectural landscaping features pay tribute to this history.

During the dedication ceremony, Presiding Judge Brown and Raquel Williams (Wilton Rancheria) recognized the contributions and history of the area’s indigenous peoples and read an official land acknowledgement.

Statewide Court Facilities Program
The Judicial Council supports the court facilities of California's Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, and trial courts by providing a broad range of services. These include facility planning, design and construction, facility operations management, environmental compliance and sustainability, real estate services and asset management, and emergency planning and security coordination.

Since the state judicial branch took over responsibility for courthouses in 2002, the judicial branch has completed 38 new courthouse projects and another 15 projects are underway and in various stages.

Learn more about the state’s courthouse construction projects