California Courts Newsroom

October 16,2017

 

 

 

Get the latest information on court closures and changes to court calendars.

Last update: Oct 16, 2017

Judicial Council Public Affairs

415-865-7740

 

 

Courts Impacted by Wildfires:

 

Lake County Superior Court: Open

 

Marin County Superior Court: Open

 

Mendocino County Superior Court: Open

 

Napa County Superior Court: Cancellation of Jury Service Oct 16–20
All jurors summoned for Monday, Oct 16 have been excused. If you have questions, please call (707) 299-1150 or (707) 299-1100. 
NOTICE: General Order Emergency Relief Authorized by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, Chair of the Judicial Council of California 

 

Solano County Superior Court: The Court expects to resume full operations in Civil, Family and Probate matters on Monday, Oct 16. If fire conditions worsen and the court is unable to return to full operations, an announcement will be posted.

 

Sonoma County Superior Court: Court will reopen on Wednesday, Oct 18 See Release
(The court has been closed since Oct 10) 

 

Emergency Orders in the Judicial Branch:
Authority for Emergency Orders from the Chair of the Judicial Council
Government Code section 68115 authorizes the Chair of the Judicial Council (the Chief Justice) to issue judicial emergency orders, at the request of a superior court’s presiding judge, when war, insurrection, pestilence, or other public calamity, or the danger thereof, or the destruction of or danger to court buildings renders it necessary, or when a large influx of criminal cases resulting from a large number of arrests within a short period of time threatens the orderly operation of the courts.

Most requests for emergency orders are submitted by courts that face a large influx of criminal cases resulting from mass arrests or from courts affected by serious earthquakes, floods, fires, or other extraordinary circumstances that render a court facility partially or fully unusable. In an emergency order, the Chair of the Judicial Council can authorize a court, “notwithstanding any other provision of law,” to do one or more of the following, depending on the circumstances of the emergency:

Hold sessions anywhere within the county;
Transfer civil cases pending in the court to a court in an adjacent county;
Declare a holiday for purposes of computing time under certain statutes;
Extend the duration of a temporary restraining order;
Extend the time period for holding a preliminary examination;
Extend the time period within which a criminal trial must be held.

 

 https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/courts-report-on-impacts-of-wildfires