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News Release - January 10, 2020

Report Supports Case for Collaborative Courts and Pretrial Programs

At its Jan. 17 meeting, the Judicial Council will receive a final report on a three-year grant for 39 collaborative courts and pretrial programs that tracked retention, recidivism, and failure to appear rates for participating defendants.

Judicial Council

Pretrial

Collaborative Courts

News Release - October 28, 2016

Chief Justice Appoints Working Group to Recommend Changes in Pretrial Detention

SAN DIEGO--Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye announced today the formation of a working group to study and recommend ways to make the bail system fair while protecting the public and ensuring court appearances of defendants.

Pre-Trial Detention Reform Workgroup

Ending Debtors' Prison

Judicial Council Meeting on Pre-Trial Risk Assessment

Pretrial

News Release - August 9, 2019

Judicial Council Funds 16 Pretrial Pilot Programs

The Judicial Council on Friday awarded millions of dollars to fund pretrial projects in 16 trial courts throughout the state.

Fact Sheet: Pretrial Pilot Program Highlights

Judicial Council Report

Archived Meeting Webcast

Criminal Justice Reform

News Release - January 19, 2017

Council Hears That Pretrial Risk Assessment Can Lower Rate of Defendants’ Pretrial Misconduct

At its public meeting on January 19, Judicial Council members heard a report that the use of evidence-based practices in pretrial risk assessment can reduce misconduct and failure to appear rates for criminal defendants.

Judicial Council

Calif. Judges Wowed by Tool to Assess Criminal Defendants

Meeting archive (video)

Judicial Council

Criminal Justice Reform

Foster Care

Keeping Kids in School steering committee chairs, Judge Stacy Boulware Eurie (left) and Judge Donna Groman, present on the connections between trauma, truancy and school discipline practices for court-involved youth. Watch here. Slides are available here.

News Release - January 17, 2020

Report Finding: Collaborative Court and Pretrial Programs Work

At its January 17 meeting, the council received a final report on a three-year grant supporting 39 collaborative court and pretrial programs that tracked retention, recidivism, and failure to appear rates for participating defendants.

Judicial Council

Meeting information

Judicial Council

Criminal Justice Reform

Innovations

Council members receive the final report on the Recidivism Reduction Grant Program, a three-year grant supporting and evaluating 39 collaborative court and pretrial programs.

News Release - April 15, 2016

Council Facilitates Juvenile System Reforms

SAN FRANCISCO—At its public meeting on April 15, the Judicial Council changed court rules and forms to implement reforms targeting those coming to family and juvenile courts. One action dealt with the implementation of a new law that changes the...

Judicial Council

Judicial Council Meeting Information

Civics

Pretrial

Judicial Council

High school senior Christian Nuñez, who didn’t know English when he emigrated to the United States at age 14, spoke about learning about the Bill of Rights on the first day of his U.S. history class. View on YouTube

Feature - June 28, 2019

5 Things to Know about the Judicial Branch Budget

Governor Gavin Newsom signed his first state budget on Thursday, which includes nearly $470 million in new judicial branch funding to continue the courts’ steady recovery after years of deep cuts.

Chief Justice Releases Statement on Judicial Branch Budget for 2019-20

Feature - December 20, 2021

2021 Year in Review: Judicial Council of California

In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to challenge the state’s ability to ensure access to justice for the citizens of California. But like the previous year, California’s Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and the Judicial Council supported the courts as they remained flexible and innovative to ensure the justice system was open and vital services remained accessible to the public.

News Release - November 17, 2017

Council Hears Why Money Bail Should End

At its meeting this week, the Judicial Council heard from the Pretrial Detention Reform Workgroup, approved legislative priorities, received an update on court innovation grants, and more.

Meeting agenda, reports, video

Judicial Council

Criminal Justice Reform

Judge Lisa Rodriguez (left) and Judge Brian Back, co-chairs of the Pretrial Detention Reform Workgroup.

News Release - September 21, 2018

Council Hears Plan for Implementing New Law that Replaces Money Bail with Risk Assessment

At its Sept. 20–21 business meeting, the Judicial Council heard a report on how the judicial branch will help implement Senate Bill 10, recently signed legislation that will eliminate money bail for criminal defendants.

Judicial Council

Meeting information

Timeline: Judicial Branch Bail Reform

Judicial Council

Criminal Justice Reform

Feature - July 12, 2021

What to Know About the Judicial Branch Budget

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a budget that includes $1.2 billion in new funding for the judicial branch, including restoring $200 million in previous cuts and making major investments in judicial branch programs improving access to justice.

California's Judicial Branch Budget Process

Chief Justice

Budget

Feature - December 15, 2016

Creating Access: The Judicial Council’s 2016 Annual Review

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.