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 A pilot program that funds free legal services for low-income Californians facing critical civil cases drastically increased the likelihood of settlement, improved the longevity of court orders, and reduced court costs, a new study shows.

At its March 15 business meeting, the Judicial Council approved recommendations for updating guidelines for video remote interpreting (VRI) and voted to have its staff coordinate a new VRI program for the judicial branch.

The Judicial Council received a report on how the state’s trial courts used additional funding included in this fiscal year’s judicial branch budget to expand hours, reopen closed locations, and invest in new technology to increase access to justice for the public.

The formula forms the basis of the Judicial Needs Assessment, which estimates California needs an additional 173 judges.

The Supreme Court of California on Wednesday expanded mandatory electronic filing of all documents, including briefs, for review by the court.

California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye on Monday issued a statewide order suspending all jury trials in California's superior courts for 60 days and allowing courts to immediately adopt new rules to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency meeting of court and branch leaders from around the state will focus on measures to ensure California courts can meet stringent health directives while also providing due process and access to justice.

The measures aim to continue essential court services while guarding the health and safety of the public, court employees, attorneys, litigants, judicial officers, law enforcement, and staff and inmates in detention facilities.

The council's latest temporary emergency rule requires attorneys to electronically serve and receive notices and documents in all general civil actions and family and probate proceedings when requested to do so.

Judges now have discretion to backdate modification requests for child, spousal, partner, or family support orders during the state of emergency.

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, the deadline to hold criminal trials has been extended a total of 90 days.  

The Judicial Council of California has launched the Pandemic Continuity of Operations Working Group, which will quickly collect best practices and publish a framework to help the state's 58 superior courts restore interrupted services in the wake of the...