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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...

The California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) has adopted a formal advisory opinion providing guidance to judges and judicial candidates to assist them in determining the types of activities they may engage in...

Can a presiding judge disqualify an entire bench? The answer is a decisive “no”, according to the Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions, the ethical rule is that no judge may decide if another judge is disqualified. But they also gave...

Public comment helps the Supreme Court of California’s Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions draft advisory opinions on ethics issues of importance to California’s judges—it also helps them decide whether to publish an opinion or redraft based on the comments received.

Recent U.S. Supreme Court's Williams v. Pennsylvania case applies a disqualification standard for former prosecutors similar to earlier California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) advice—CJEO extends its advice to service in a prior conviction.

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.

SAN FRANCISCO--The California Supreme Court today announced the reappointment of Justice Judith L. Haller of the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District and Judge Michael T. Garcia (Ret.) of the Superior Court of Sacramento County, and the appointment of Judge Samantha P. Jessner of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County to fill a vacancy, to four-year terms on the Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions.

The Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) issued oral advice that a judge may administer the oath of office to a newly elected district attorney. CJEO Oral Advice Summary 2016-018 concludes that because judges are authorized by law to administer the oath of office that all public office holders are required to take under the California Constitution, doing so is an official function of judicial office.

The Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) issued oral advice that judges must follow a new law prohibiting compensation for solemnizing a marriage--legislation effective January 1, 2017, changes the law.

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.