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SAN FRANCISCO—Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye today announced that she is asking the Judicial Council to take emergency action to adopt a rule of court to facilitate access to justice for court users challenging traffic fines. “Many of the...

  SAN FRANCISCO—At an urgent open meeting via teleconference, the Judicial Council unanimously adopted a new rule today that directs courts to allow people who have traffic tickets to appear for arraignment and trial without deposit of bail, unless...

  SAN FRANCISCO— Calling the Judicial Council’s year-old open-meeting rule a success, Court of Appeal Justice Douglas P. Miller reported that all the council’s advisory meetings related to court funding and facilities during the first year were open to...

See how new and renovated courthouses are making jury service a more comfortable experience.

California courts have resolved 132,879 delinquent infraction and misdemeanor accounts and sent 104,105 requests to the state Department of Motor Vehicles to lift holds on drivers licenses since the traffic amnesty program began in October 2015.

Courthouse projects in various stages—all require funding to continue. Others are indefinitely delayed.

In 2016, the Judicial Council continued focusing on efforts to better stabilize branch funding, improve branch governance, and to address concerns about fairness raised by the public, our sister branches of government, and stakeholders throughout the state.

The amnesty program reduces unpaid fines and assessments on qualifying traffic tickets and non-traffic infractions.

Since 2002, the judicial branch has overseen the addition of 29 new safe and accessible court facilities around the state, improving access to justice for millions of Californians.

The Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles is undergoing a retrofit of its lighting fixtures that will recover installation costs in less than two years and save taxpayers more than $6 million over the next 10 years in energy savings.

Governor Jerry Brown signed a state budget on Wednesday that will help restore court services slashed during the recession, fund courthouse projects, and improve access to justice for millions of Californians.  

Demolition work to prepare the site for a new Santa Barbara Criminal Courthouse is scheduled to begin in the next few weeks. Perimeter fencing and other preparations for demolition are set to begin Sept. 24.