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event - April 7, 2023

Commission to Consider Appellate Court Appointments

The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold public hearings to consider appointments to the First and Fourth Appellate Districts in San Francisco and San Diego.

Supreme Court Courtroom
350 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

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Change of Venue in California

Change of venue is the transfer of a legal action from one county to another county for trial. In criminal cases a change of venue is permitted if, for example, the court believes the defendant cannot receive a fair trial in a given county. Reasons for changes of venue include pretrial publicity, bias, political atmosphere, and any other circumstance that the parties believe would prevent them from obtaining a fair trial in the county in which the case was originally filed. Role of the Judicial Council of California

event - January 2, 2023

Chief Justice-elect Patricia Guerrero, Judge Kelli Evans Swearing In

Governor Gavin Newsom will swear in:

  • Justice Patricia Guerrero as the 29th Chief Justice of California.
  • Judge Kelli Evans as an associate justice of the California Supreme Court.

Note: This event will not be livestreamed. Photos and a video of the ceremony will be posted to this Newsroom shortly after the event. 

CA
United States

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What happened to the Champion of Civics Award?

During the pandemic, the Civic Learning Award program took pause to honor individual programs, classes and clubs, and individual Champions of Civics. This was the model for 2021 and 2022 during a time when schools were remote learning, supporting hybrid classrooms, and getting back to campus life full-time. This year, the program returns to its pre-pandemic purpose--honoring schools with an all-encompassing commitment to civics.  The Champion of Civics Award will be presented in the future at the discretion of Power of Democracy Steering Committee or the Chief Justice. 

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I want to share an idea for expanding civics in California...

The Power of Democracy Civic Learning Initiative is always looking for new, innovative ideas to implement, promote, expand, and celebrate effective civics programming! So we ask you: Teachers and students, if you were in a position to really change how civics reaches students in public school, where would you begin? 

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Do award-receiving schools receive a visit from the Chief Justice?

The Chief Justice visits schools of Excellence. Schools of Distinction and Merit receive visits from judges in their community. In 2021 and 2022, visits to campus events were canceled due to the uncertainty and unpredictable nature of public health directives.  This year, the Award of Excellence will be presented in September by Chief Justice-Elect Patricia Guerrero. This will give schools time to organize celebrations during Constitution Month, and around Constitution Day (September 17).

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Who scores the awards?

Each year, the applications are scored by a panel of approximately 12 judicial officers, educators, and civic learning experts. Most panelists are members of the Power of Democracy Steering Committee. Every application is read and scored by no fewer than three judges, with an average score calculated and assigned. Applications scoring the highest are then reviewed by the entire panel. In cases where there is a tie, weight is applied to those schools who best demonstrate how they: