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The budget cuts $200 million from the state court system, though $150 million could be restored if the federal government sends additional aid by the fall.

Starting Monday, March 2, North County residents will no longer be required to drive to downtown San Diego to file their probate matters.

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.  

Facing growing numbers of civil and family law litigants representing themselves, courts are expanding services offered through “self-help” centers.

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.

California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye on Wednesday named nine members to the Judicial Council’s Advisory Committee on Audits and Financial Accountability for the Judicial Branch.

At its July 27-28 business meeting, the Judicial Council approved changes to the way it determines how the state’s 58 trial courts are funded.

While the model has helped equalize funding gaps across counties, chronic underfunding of the judicial branch has complicated its rollout.

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 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.

At its May 15 teleconference meeting, the council received reports on potential reductions to judicial branch funding, as well as planning efforts to restore court access and services restricted due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the COVID-19 state of emergency issued in mid-March, courts around the state have been holding more court hearings remotely. Now courts are looking for ways to expand remote technology to support community engagement.