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The Superior Court of Los Angeles County has identified a backlog of roughly 464,000 arrest disposition reports (ADRs) for criminal cases that, until now, went unreported to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) due to issues with its prior criminal case management system (CMS), which affected their successful reporting. ADRs detail the outcomes of arrests (e.g., conviction or dismissal) and are reported to the DOJ as part of an individual’s criminal history record.
Through an investigation, the Court has identified a backlog of approximately 464,000 cases, representing approximately 408,000 individuals, from the early 1980s to 2023, including approximately 380,000 convictions and approximately 84,000 dismissals, that were missing from DOJ records. The majority of the unreported cases span a time period from the early 1980s to 2006. This means that individuals whose arrests resulted in filed criminal cases that were disposed by conviction or dismissal may not be currently reflected on their criminal histories, although roughly half of the individuals represented in the backlog have unrelated prior or subsequent convictions or dismissals that were reported to the DOJ.
To address the backlog, the Court is working diligently with the DOJ to ensure backlogged ADRs are applied to the appropriate criminal history record.
Potential Impacts to Individuals with Arrest Records
Of the approximately 464,000 impacted cases, the Court has identified approximately 380,000 instances with convictions where the case’s ADR was not successfully reported to the DOJ. Of those, roughly 147,000 involved cases with felony convictions, and roughly 233,000 were cases with misdemeanor convictions. Approximately 84,000 cases were dismissals in which ADRs were not successfully reported to the DOJ. Of those, roughly 61,000 involved felony dismissals, and roughly 23,000 involved misdemeanor dismissals.
As a result of the ADR backlog, individuals with an arrest record may not currently have their arrest outcome accurately reflected in their criminal history record, which may be used in background checks. As the backlog is addressed, impacted individuals may see their criminal records updated. Impacted individuals may also qualify for expungement or resentencing relief.
Origin of ADR Backlog
Recognizing the age and limitations of the Court’s now-legacy criminal CMS, the Trial Court Information System (TCIS), originally installed in the 1980s, the Court embarked on a modernization project in 2016 to introduce a new platform that would deliver significant efficiencies and features to court operations.
As part of the legacy CMS decommissioning process, the Court identified a significant backlog of ADR submissions in 2025. It began an investigation to determine whether the identified records were in the DOJ criminal history database. The investigation reduced the backlog, but a significant backlog remains. After the investigation, the Court identified the root cause of the reporting issue as a lack of technical programming in TCIS, which failed to flag reporting errors with individual ADRs, making it impossible for Court staff to identify instances where ADRs were not properly reported.
The Court concluded its investigation in January 2026, identifying roughly 464,000 impacted cases. All of the delinquent ADRs are being transmitted to DOJ at this time, and DOJ is working to process them into its system. The Court also reevaluated its current CMS to ensure that the current system does not replicate these issues. Since the Court’s transition to its new criminal CMS in 2023, the system has correctly identified errors in ADR transmission to the DOJ, and the Court has developed several manual and automated failsafe mechanisms to ensure ADRs are successfully transmitted to the DOJ. Therefore, the Court has not identified any backlog of ADR transmissions since 2023.
Additional Information for the Public
The Court recognizes the impact of the unreported ADRs and is committed to providing resources for the public to learn more. Please visit the Court’s ADR Backlog Resource Page for more information, data, and frequently asked questions.
“The Court is committed to building public trust and confidence in the judicial system, and that demands transparency when the Court falls short of its standards,” said Executive Officer and Clerk of Court David W. Slayton. “At the end of the day, it is most important that the criminal history records be complete and accurate, and the Court has taken steps to ensure this is the case. The Court is collaborating with the California Department of Justice to mitigate the backlog as expeditiously as possible. The Court’s leadership team has devoted significant resources to modernizing the Court’s infrastructure through innovation and forward-thinking investments to ensure an incident of this magnitude does not occur again.”
About the Superior Court of Los Angeles County
As the largest trial court in the nation, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County serves a population of almost 10 million in 36 courthouses with a jurisdiction covering over 4,000 square miles that includes 88 cities, 140 unincorporated areas and dozens of law enforcement agencies. The Court is steadfast in its mission to serve our community by providing equal access to justice through the fair, timely, and effective resolution of all cases.
For more information on the Court’s current programs and services, follow the Court on X (@LASuperiorCourt), Instagram (@ LASuperiorCourt), Threads (@ LASuperiorCourt), or visit the Court’s website, www.LACourt.ca.gov.
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