Remote Proceedings Have Enhanced California’s Courtrooms and Improved Court Participation

Over the past five years, remote proceedings have become an integral part of ensuring that courts are accessible to all Californians. Thousands of court hearings occur remotely each day, saving Californians millions of trips to courthouses each year.

Litigants and Court Staff Give Remote Proceedings High Ratings
Courts’ use of remote proceedings has received an overwhelmingly positive response from court users and staff. According to the most recent Judicial Council report to the Legislature, Report on the Use of Remote Technology in Civil Actions by the Trial Courts, 57 courts throughout the state reported using remote technology from Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024. During that period, a total of 1,146,184 remote civil proceedings took place statewide. These included civil proceedings such as civil unlimited (46%), family law (19%), probate (13%), civil limited (9%), juvenile dependency (6%), juvenile delinquency (4%), small claims (2%), and civil mental health (1%).

In a survey of remote proceedings participants, more than 90% of them had an overall positive experience and fewer than 2% reported experiencing an audio or visual technical issue.

Remote Proceedings Can Benefit Vulnerable Parties
Vulnerable court users, such as victims of domestic violence and elder abuse, have reported they had less anxiety and stress by not having to appear in court with the perpetrator.

“In many cases, appearing remotely reduces the fear of appearing in a courtroom, especially for cases involving domestic violence and elder abuse,” said Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Ann Moorman during a 2024 Judicial Council meeting. “Remote proceedings do, and can, reduce further traumatization for participants and the potential for conflict in the courtroom.”

Watch Judge Moorman’s presentation from the January 2024 Judicial Council business meeting: