Court services are fully restored at one of the most remote courthouses in California. The Superior Court of San Bernardino County had reduced services at its Needles Courthouse along the California-Arizona state line in 2013 as the court made needed cutbacks during the Great Recession.

Some of the most experienced judges in California’s largest courts have retired or announced plans to retire in recent months. Thirteen judges have announced they’re leaving the Los Angeles County Superior Court since Jan. 1. Sacramento County and San Diego County have each lost about half a dozen judicial officers this year.

The sunset of the national emergency declaration for COVID-19 could have some significant consequences for litigants in the federal courts, possibly rolling back some of the cost-savings and convenience spurred by remote proceedings.

Even though in-person arguments resumed in November, the court has yet to venture from its home base. There haven’t been oral arguments outside of San Francisco since the February 2020 calendar in Sacramento. The April calendar, typically conducted in Los Angeles, will remain in San Francisco this term.