News Release

(UPDATE: Sessions Postponed) Judicial Workgroup Seeks Public Comment on Risk Assessment Tools

The Pretrial Reform and Operations Workgroup will host public comment sessions in Los Angeles and San Francisco on risk assessment tools as one component in pretrial decisionmaking.
Mar 3, 2020

UPDATED MARCH 18:

Due to shelter in place restrictions for the San Francisco Bay Area, the April 2 San Francisco public comment session has also been postponed. We will continue to monitor the situation and give advance notice of future dates for public comment.

UPDATED MARCH 11:

The Pretrial Reform and Operations Workgroup has postponed its public comment session scheduled for March 19 in Los Angeles.

This decision comes in light of a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommendation that people avoid all non-essential public gatherings. In addition, all Judicial Council-sponsored in-person meetings have been postponed through March 31.

We will continue to monitor the situation and give advance notice of a future date for public comment in Los Angeles. It is important that everyone interested in providing public comment to our workgroup has the opportunity.

Based on evolving health guidance, we will also evaluate whether to hold our second public comment session, currently scheduled for April 2 in San Francisco, and will provide further updates.



The Pretrial Reform and Operations Workgroup will host public comment sessions on the use of pretrial risk assessment tools to further its mission of reviewing and identifying next steps for reforms to California’s system of pretrial release and detention.

In January 2019, Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye appointed the Pretrial Reform and Operations Workgroup, a 12-person group of trial court judges, appellate court justices, and court executive officers. Cantil-Sakauye tasked the workgroup with recommending funding allocations for pretrial pilot projects in trial courts throughout the state and examining risk assessment tools, among other responsibilities.

The workgroup is interested in receiving public input on the use of risk assessment tools as one component in pretrial decisionmaking. Public sessions are scheduled for:

LOS ANGELES (POSTPONED)
March 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ronald Reagan State Office Building Auditorium
300 South Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

SAN FRANCISCO (POSTPONED)
April 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
455 Golden Gate Ave., Monterey Room
San Francisco, CA 94102

Members of the public can request to speak at the comment session or submit written comments either before or after the session.

*For more information and to request to speak in advance, please view the comment procedures*

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