Bench Bar Notes

The LASC is offering substantial incentives to retain and recruit official court reporters amid a staffing shortage.

The incentives are being boosted with the help of nearly $10 million in state funding and include a signing bonus, finder’s fees, and student loan assistance. The additional resources provided by the state “will provide much-needed funding to enhance and accelerate recruiting and retention efforts,” according to LASC Presiding Judge, Hon. Jessica P. Jessner.

As a result of a nationwide court reporter shortage, the Court was recently required to shift court reporter coverage from family law, probate, and matters assigned to the writs and receiver departments to criminal felony and juvenile proceedings to ensure that court reporters are able to cover these statutorily mandated case types.

In Los Angeles County, the number of court reporters leaving court service continues to significantly outpace the number of new court reporters entering court service.

Despite concerted efforts to recruit court reporters, the Court has struggled to fill vacancies due to a lack of available certified shorthand reporters (CSRs) in California. In 2022, 43 court reporters left Court service. During this time, the Court was able to hire only 10 court reporters with 99 CSR vacancies needing to be filled.

For additional information, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/23-NR-COURT-REPORTER-RECRUITMENT_RETENTION.pdf

The anticipated rollout of enhancements and new features to LACourtConnect (LACC) for probate in December and for civil, family law, and traffic in early 2023 has been delayed due to the holidays.

The registration window to appear remotely through LACC in probate, civil, family law and traffic matters will remain 14 days in advance of the hearing.

The deadline to register for the last session of the LASC’s Civil Trial Advocacy Program is Monday, December 5, 2022.

The session will have a panel of legal experts who will share strategies to effectively conduct closing arguments. The event is free and is open to attorneys of all levels of experience.

The two-hour session is divided into three parts: A ‘Nuts and Bolts’ presentation on closing arguments from both the plaintiff and defense perspectives; a demonstration of effective closing arguments; and a roundtable discussion with presenters’ feedback and tips.

Attendees will be given two hours of MCLE credit. For more information and a link to register, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CIVIL-TRIAL.pdf

Effective December 1, the Court’s Pro Bono Probate Settlement Program will resume settlement conferences for trust, estate, guardianship, and conservatorship matters.

The program, paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is operated in partnership with the San Fernando Valley Bar Association (SFVBA) and staffed with volunteer attorneys experienced in probate matters selected by a committee of SFVBA members.

The program provides probate litigants the opportunity to resolve their cases by leveraging the expertise of highly qualified, pro bono experts. Program participation is by court referral only and may be requested by one or more of the parties or initiated by the judicial officer hearing the matter.

Participation is voluntary and must be agreed to by all parties. If all parties agree to participate, one party will act as the organizer to register and schedule the settlement conference using the Court’s online scheduler. If the matter is settled through the program, the parties will generally reduce the agreement to writing to be reviewed and signed by the judicial officer.

Settlement conferences will be held virtually unless otherwise specified.

Additional information about the Court’s Pro Bono Probate Settlement Program can be found at https://www.lacourt.org/division/probate/PR0104.aspx.

Effective November 20, the registration window to appear remotely through LACourtConnect (LACC) in probate, civil―including small claims and unlawful detainer cases―as well as family law and traffic matters will temporarily change from 30 to 14 days in advance of the hearing as the Court prepares to rollout enhancements and new features to LACC for probate in December and for civil, family law and traffic in early 2023.

The registration window will resume up to 30 days before the hearing date after the enhancements are complete. At that time, users can expect to see a more modern interface and controls, with smoother transitions when moving from the virtual gallery to the virtual well.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/22-NTA-LACC-DEC-UPDATE-CORRECTION.pdf

October 20, 2022 – Effective Monday, October 24, the LASC will reopen its Child Waiting Rooms at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach, the Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, and the Whittier Courthouse.

In addition to the three Child Waiting Rooms opening their doors on October 24, five other Child Waiting Rooms in the Chatsworth, Compton, Stanley Mosk, Pomona, and Van Nuys East courthouses are scheduled to reopen by the end of the year.

The Court temporarily closed its eight waiting rooms in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

First opened at the old Long Beach Courthouse in 2002, Child Waiting Rooms have remained a core part of the Court’s service model for over two decades.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/22-NR-CHILD-WAITING-ROOMS.pdf

September 28, 2002 – The LASC has forged a new partnership with the Los Angeles City and County Public Library systems to leverage law-related library resources and programs through a new mobile-friendly webpage aimed at assisting city and county residents without reliable access to the internet.

Library resources include free library laptop and hotspot loan programs, free and low-cost printing services, and more, which court users can utilize to complete court business remotely.

Court users can learn about available library resources and locations at all Court Self-Help Centers and Clerk’s Offices.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/22-NR-BRIDGING-DIGITAL-DIVIDE.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court is launching a gradual, phased transition of personal injury (PI) cases out of the PI Hub at the Spring Street Courthouse and back to local community-based Independent Calendar (IC) courts.

This significant change, effective October 10, will allow judges to proactively manage cases, provide litigants greater predictability in case disposition, bring about quicker dispute resolution and increase access to justice for litigants, attorneys, and witnesses.

New personal injury (PI) cases, except those originating in the Central District, “will be handled in IC courts in the courthouses located in the district where the accident occurred – for adjudication by the same judge from start to finish.”

According to the Court, “This model restores civil courts to the districts that closed departments because of severe budget cuts during the Great Recession and reestablishes a system that allows judges throughout the county to proactively manage this large inventory of cases to yield a more timely resolution.”

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/22-NR-PI-HUB-CHANGES.pdf

Effective Monday, November 14, 2022, the Los Angeles Superior Court will no longer provide official court reporters in certain court matters due to a continually shrinking workforce of official court reporters, a staffing shortage that mirrors nationwide and California trends, despite significant increases in trial court funding designated to hire court reporters.

According to the LASC, after that date, the court reporters currently assigned to family law, probate and writs and receiver matters will be reassigned to departments hearing criminal felony and juvenile matters where the law requires the court to provide an official court reporter, the Court has said.

In Los Angeles County, the number of court reporters leaving court service continues to significantly outpace the number of new court reporters entering court service.

The Court’s court reporter workforce has dropped from 430 in 2017 to 330 today despite efforts on the part of the Court, including monetary bonuses and generous benefits, designed to attract new reporters to court service.

Effective September 1, 2022, LACourtConnect  (LACC), the Court’s free remote appearance technology, will be available for remote courtroom appearances for AB 1058 child support hearings, making video appearances available for all family law case types.

The Court is offering Attorney Sandbox Sessions from 12 – 1 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30 and Wednesday, August 31 for attorneys to learn more about LACC and test the features.

LACC features include a “Virtual Gallery” where litigants and attorneys can review their upcoming remote hearing information for that day; test their audio and video equipment; view court announcements; and chat with others in the Virtual Gallery via text, audio and video; and monitor the courtroom while waiting for upcoming hearings.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/22-NTA-LACC-FOR-AB-1058-CASES-SEPT-1.pdf

Attorneys in L.A. County are invited to participate in a free virtual demonstration and roundtable discussion on how to effectively conduct direct and cross-examination of a witness.

The two-hour event is scheduled to begin at noon, August 25, 2022, and is the third program in the LASC’s Civil Trial Advocacy series.

The discussion will include a“Nuts and Bolts” lecture on direct and cross-examination of a witness with perspectives from plaintiff and defense counsel; a mock direct and cross-examination of a witness demonstration; and, a roundtable session with feedback and tips from the presenters.

Attorneys of all levels of experience are encouraged to attend. The session is eligible for a 2-hour MCLE credit.

Register HERE by 5 p.m. August 24, 2022. The link to the virtual program will be sent after registration.

In just a few weeks, attorney members of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association will have the opportunity to elect their Bar Leaders by voting in the Bar’s annual Board of Trustees election.

“By allowing members to choose from a ballot of candidates rather than a predetermined slate, our Board of Trustees is much more representative of our membership,” says SFVBA President Christopher P. Warne. “This year, the election will be conducted online with ballots emailed to attorney members the second week of August.”

The last day to submit a ballot will be Friday, September 9. Members may request a ballot to be sent by U.S. Mail rather than electronic mail by contacting SFVBA Executive Director, Rosie Soto Cohen, by August 23 at rosie@sfvba.org or (818) 227-0497.

To view the 2022 SFVBA Election Pamphlet, please here.

The Los Angeles Superior Court is currently seeking practicing attorneys who are looking to enhance their legal skills and support the administration of justice in Los Angeles County by serving as Temporary Judges.

Virtual Bench Conduct and Demeanor training via WebEx will be offered for those interested on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Reservations to participate in the training session should be e-mailed to TempJudgeProgram@lacourt.org no later than September 14, 2022.

MCLE credit is provided for this training, which is mandatory as the California Rules of Court require Temporary Judges to receive three hours of live training in bench conduct and demeanor, plus three hours of training in judicial ethics and at least one area of substantive law―traffic, small claims, unlawful detainers, and family law.

Online training in judicial ethics and Traffic is available at http://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/protem/.  To expedite the process, those applying should submit their Certificates of Completion for online courses and their application to the Temporary Judge Program at TempJudgeProgram@lacourt.org prior to live training.

For other areas of substantive law, please contact the Temporary Judge Program Office.

The ‘fillable form’ application and additional information regarding the Temporary Judge Program can be found on the Court website at www.lacourt.org under the General Information tab.

Any questions regarding the Temporary Judges program should be directed to Qiana Bowens, Court Operations Manager – Temporary Judge Program at 213-633-0036 or qbowens@lacourt.org.

California Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye has announced that she will not seek a second 12-year term in November and will conclude her current term of office on January 1, reports the Associated Press.

The announcement will give Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, his third opportunity to appoint a justice to the seven-member high court, and his first to pick a new chief justice, reports the Associated Press.

Cantil-Sakauye was sworn into office in January 2011 after she was nominated by former Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and was elected in the November 2010 general election.

She said in a statement that Newsom “will have a diverse pool of exceptionally well qualified jurists and legal professionals to choose from, and I believe the judiciary, the courts, and access to justice in California will be in good hands.”

The Sacramento native was appointed to Sacramento Municipal Court by then-Gov. George Deukmejian in 1990 and to the Sacramento County Superior Court by then-Gov. Pete Wilson in 1997, where she created and presided over the county’s first court dedicated to handling domestic violence cases.

Then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated her for the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento in 2005 before tapping her for the Supreme Court to succeed retiring Chief Justice Ronald George.

She is the first Asian-Filipina American and the second woman to serve as the state’s Chief Justice.

Effective July 1, the enhanced features of the Advanced Attorney Portal will be available at no cost to all attorneys with a CourtID.

Advanced Attorney Portal features include access to all cases for which you are the attorney of record; views of all electronic documents for family law, juvenile dependency, limited and unlimited civil, probate, small claims and traffic cases; direct connection to LACourtConnect, the Court’s remote courtroom appearance technology; receipt of notifications of any activity on cases; the ability to temporarily―for up to six months―delegate access to others such as paralegals and substitute attorneys in accordance with California Rules of Court 2.518, 2.519 and 2.520; and more.

For full details, go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-NTA-ATTORNEY-PORTAL-FEES-WAIVED.pdf

June 14, 2022 – As the statewide judicial branch Emergency Rules Related to COVID-19 are set to expire on June 30, and after the Governor has lifted most of his pandemic orders since he declared a state of emergency on March 4, 2020, the LASC is rescinding two bail-related actions adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and resuming normal operations.

For details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/22-NR-PANDEMIC-RELATED-BAIL-CHANGES.pdf

Part Two of the LASC’s Civil Trial Advocacy ‘Opening Statements’ Program is scheduled for Thursday, June 23.

The program includes:

• “Nuts and Bolts” lecture on mini-openings and opening statements with perspective from plaintiff and defense counsel;
• A mini-opening demonstration;
• A mock opening statement demonstration; and,
• Around table session with feedback and tips from the presenters.

Attendees will receive two (2) hours of MCLE credit, while attorneys of all levels of experience are encouraged to attend

Register at LASC Civil Trial Advocacy ProgramOpening Statements Survey (surveymonkey.com) by 5 p.m. June 22, 2022.

The link to the virtual program will be sent after registration.

Attorney members of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association have the unique opportunity to run for a seat on its Board of Trustees.

The SFVBA Nominating Committee is now accepting applications from members who aspire to lead the SFVBA and wish to be considered for nomination as a candidate for the Board.

Trustees’ responsibilities include setting policy and overseeing the association’s finances.

Members of the Board also work closely with SFVBA staff to improve and develop programs for the public; expand benefits and services for members; promote the public image of lawyers and the justice system, and are active participants in SFVBA programs and committees.

In order to be elected or appointed as a Trustee, a person must have been an Active Member for at least one (1) year prior to serving on the Board of Trustees, except for the Associate Member who may be appointed by the President pursuant to Section 5.7 of the SFVBA Bylaws.

The deadline for applying is noon, June 6, 2002. For an application for nomination, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-APPLICATION-FOR-NOMINATION-TO-THE-SFVBA-BOT.pdf

Have questions? Feel free to contact Executive Director Rosie Soto Cohen at rosie@sfvba.org or (818) 227-0497.

LACourtConnect (LACC) participants will soon gain access to the newest features and enhancements for remote appearances. The updated LACC for probate matters is now available, and, beginning June 3, for civil, family law and traffic matters.

The new features include a Virtual Gallery where attorneys can review their upcoming remote hearing information for that day; test their audio and video equipment; view court announcements;  chat with others in the Virtual Gallery via text, audio and video; and monitor the courtroom while waiting for hearings to be called.

A video overview for attorneys to familiarize themselves with the new features, along with other useful information including a link to the probate attorney Sandbox Sessions, is available on the Attorney Portal and the LACC pages of the Court’s website.

Future Sandbox Sessions for civil, family law and traffic attorneys will be available closer to the LACC rollout date.

Each individual LACC user including clients, experts and witnesses will now be required to have and use a uniquely assigned CourtID for registration.

Users are urged to ensure the email and password for the person who is joining the hearing is used for registration, if done by office staff. For attorneys, this is the same unique password and email used for other Court applications, such as the Attorney Portal. For others, information about how to create a CourtID is available at LACCWhatyouneedUG.pdf (lacourt.org).

Effective May 16, an advanced timeline for Order to Show Cause hearings and case type limitations will streamline case handling and improve efficiency as the LASC has unveiled  a number of changes to the personal injury (PI) hub court procedures.

The changes will impact Order to Show Cause hearings; limiting case types assigned to PI Hub Courts; elder abuse and claims against skilled nursing facilities; cases involving claims of childhood sexual abuse; habitability claims – e.g., mold, bedbugs, etc.; products liability; and medical and other professional malpractice claims.

The goal of these changes is to expedite the time to trial and to minimize the disruption caused by the late transfer of a matter. This disruption has sometimes occurred on the eve of an important hearing date once it was discovered that a case required more attention than a PI Hub court could afford to provide given these courts’ case inventories.

In view of these changes, cases will not be transferred from the PI Hub absent a showing of good cause.

Accordingly, the Motion/Opposition/Stipulation to Transfer Form (LASC form LACIV 238) is no longer available for use. In association with these changes, the PI Hub has updated and consolidated its Standing Order.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/22-NTA-PI-HUB.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court has unveiled a new Diversity Inclusion Working Group webpage that features a Civil Trial Advocacy voir dire video training module that last week drew a record-setting 1,600 registered participants.

The video, which is available for free on the newly launched webpage, is the most recent example of the working group’s successful attorney training and mentorship programs that seek to create a more inclusive and diverse bar.

The new webpage provides on-demand access to training and programs created by the Diversity Inclusion Working Group, co-chaired by LASC Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor and Judge Ruth Ann Kwan, in collaboration with local bar associations, attorneys, and legal aid.

The website, said Judge Taylor, “reflects the working group’s vision to create opportunities for attorneys to glean more courtroom experience and have access to expert mentors to help them hone their trial and litigation skills.”

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/22-NR-DIVERSITY-INCLUSION-WEBPAGE.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court has launched a new webpage dedicated to highlighting the ways in which judicial officers serve Los Angeles County communities.

The new webpage―called The Good We Do ―showcases the Judicial Mentor Program, the Good City Mentors Program, the Redondo Beach Homeless Court, and the Skid Row Running Club.

“The Good We Do” webpage highlights the Judicial Mentorship Program, which collaborates with all sectors of the legal community, including bar associations, public interest organizations, government attorneys, private law firms, and solo practitioners to develop wide-ranging outreach and provide effective mentorship to all attorneys interested in judgeships.

Since the Mentorship’s program’s inception, it has inspired other trial courts, the Court of Appeal, and other states to start similar programs to enhance and diversify their pool of qualified judicial candidates.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/22-NR-GOOD-WE-DO-INITIATIVE.pdf

Beginning immediately, attorneys and self-represented litigants can electronically file Qualified Domestic Relations Orders of Support, judgments and all proposed orders in Family Law to the Court for processing.

These filings are no longer exempt from efiling by attorneys. Once the efiled orders are processed, the Court will email the submitting party the conformed copies from No-ReplyCourtNotify@lacourt.org.

The submitting party is required to serve all other parties.

By expanding efiling in Family Law, the Court continues to provide court users efficient and convenient options for resolving their matters without having to come to court while enhancing the Court’s ability to maintain complete and easily accessible records.

SRLs may continue to submit all documents in paper form. After processing, the Court will mail conformed copies to the submitting SRL party, who will then be required to serve all other parties. Requests for restraining orders may continue to be efiled or filed in person.

All orders and judgments are still available for viewing after processing through the Attorney Portal and on public terminals in the courthouses.

The San Fernando Valley Bar Association will join the Valley Community Legal Foundation to hold an Installation Celebration, Tuesday, April 26 at The Garland, 4222 Vineland Avenue in North Hollywood.

The cost is $75 per person for an evening that promises to be “short on speeches and long on socializing and fun.”

The event, which begins at 5:30 p.m., is graciously sponsored by Lewitt Hackman; Alpert, Barr & Grant; Nemecek Cole; Kraft Miles ALC; The Reape Rickett Law Firm; Lawyer’s Mutual Insurance Company; Manufacturer’s Bank; and ITSupportLA.

Additional support is provided by Cornelius & Kasendorf, APC; Abir Cohen Treyzon Salo, LLP, and Erin Joyce Law; as well as Barry P. Goldberg, APLC; the University of West Los Angeles; Nolan Heimann LLP; Glick Atalla, APLC; Kyle Ellis; Amanda Moghaddam; ADR Services, Inc.; Packer, O’Leary & Corson, APLC; One Legal; and ​​​​​​Judicate West.

To attend, please register at https://secure.affinipay.com/pages/sfvba/installation

Effective April 1, the LASC’s Early Resolution Employment Case Mandatory Settlement Conference Pilot Program will be expanded to six additional Independent Calendar (IC) courtrooms―five courtrooms at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse and one courtroom at the Alhambra Courthouse.

The Pilot Program, launched in February 2022, encourages resolution of employment cases through early virtual Mandatory Settlement Conferences (MSCs) conducted through Resolve Law LA (RLLA).

The RLLA is a joint effort of the Court and founding organizations Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, Los Angeles Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation, whose members act as settlement officers.

Members of the Labor and Employment section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the California Employment Lawyers Association provide additional settlement officer support and subject matter expertise for employment cases.

For further details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-NR-EMPLOYMENT-CASE-MANDATORY-SETTLEMENT-CONFERENCE-PILOT-PROGRAM-EXPANSION.pdf

The L. A. Superior Court’s Mental Health Department is seeking qualified applicants to serve on the Court-appointed Counsel Panel for Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) conservatorship proceedings.

Court-appointed counsel must satisfy the requirements of California Rules of Court, rules 7.1101(c) and 7.1103, and Local Court Rules 4.137 and 4.123 through 4.127, updated January 1, 2022.

Updated eligibility requirements and compensation rates apply. Effective April 1, 2022, the hourly rate for court-appointed counsel in Mental Health proceedings will increase to $150 per hour for services on or after April 1.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/NTA-Mental-Health-LPS-Conservatorship.pdf

The Superior Court of Los Angeles County will lift its mandatory face mask order effective Monday, April 4, 2022, while strongly recommending the use of well-fitting medical masks or respirators inside all courthouses to align with the most recent Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) Health Order.

The Court has required face masks since it first implemented a mandatory face mask policy on June 5, 2020. In accordance with its measured approach, the Court also has delayed its face mask policy changes for at least two weeks after LA County shifts, which has served the Court well.

The Court has also announced a new General Order to extend certain Juvenile deadlines from March 26 through April 22, 2022.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-NR-FACE-MASKS.pdf

Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor will give opening remarks at the upcoming 2022 Judicial Mentor Program Outreach Workshop.

The workshop will be held from noon – 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, and will be followed by small virtual breakout rooms in which attorneys will have the opportunity to discuss perceived obstacles to successful appointment to the bench as well as sensitivity and awareness around inclusivity for judicial applicants with disabilities.

The first Workshop was held in November 2020, and since then has served more than 2,200 members of the legal community through mentoring, outreach presentations, and workshops. Since the program’s inception, approximately 100 judicial mentor volunteers have been paired with more than 170 attorneys from diverse backgrounds.

Mentor judges meet with the attorneys to provide information about the application process, answer their questions and suggest career steps they can take to become qualified judicial applicants. The mentor relationship is expected to last for one year and to include four mentor-mentee meetings within that year.

Registration closes April 19. All attorneys are welcome to participate in this completely inclusive event. Register now at  OUTREACH WORKSHOP Survey (surveymonkey.com)

For more information, please go to  https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22-NTA-Judicial-Mentor-Program-April-20-Workshop_Inclusivity-People-with-Disabilities.pdf

Attorneys interested in improving their jury voir dire skills are invited to a free, three-part virtual Civil Trial Advocacy Program on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Presented by the Los Angeles Superior Court, the comprehensive program will include expert input on the law regarding voir dire; tips for successful voir dire; perspectives on voir dire from plaintiff and defense counsel; and a live mock jury selection with peremptory challenges.

The session will conclude with a roundtable Question and Answer session with feedback and tips from the presenters and plaintiff and defense jury consultants.

The training session will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is available for two hours of  MCLE credit. Registration is now open at https://bit.ly/3C8MAt5.

The Chairs of the California Judicial Council’s Executive and Planning, Judicial Branch Budget, Litigation Management, Technology, and Legislation Committees have stated that they will recommend that the Judicial Council amend all statewide COVID-related emergency rules to sunset on June 30, 2022.

The recommendation will be made at the Council’s upcoming March 11 meeting.

Furthermore, California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye has also stated that she intends to rescind all the provisions in her statewide emergency orders, effective April 30, namely the extension of time for holding preliminary examinations; the extension of time to bring a civil action to trial; the waiver of certain requirements to adopt local rules related to the pandemic; and the suspension of any California Rules of Court to the extent the rules prevented a court from using technology to conduct proceedings and operations remotely.

After the state of emergency was declared on March 4, 2020, and over the course of the next several months, the Judicial Council adopted 13 emergency rules and the Chief Justice signed four statewide emergency orders under her constitutional and other legal authority. This was in addition to the approximately 700 individual court emergency orders she signed under Government Code section 68115.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Internal-Chairs-Memo-to-PJs-CEOs-re-Sunsetting-of-Emergency-Rules-030122-2pm.pdf

The LASC has issued a new General Order that extends certain Juvenile Dependency deadlines through March 25, 2022.

According to the new Order, the time periods provided in Section 313 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within which a minor taken into custody pending Dependency proceedings must be released from custody to not more than seven (7) days, applicable only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from February 26, 2022, to March 25, 2022, inclusive.

In addition, the time periods provided in section 315 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within which a minor taken into custody pending Dependency proceedings must be given a detention hearing to not more than seven (7) days, applicable only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from February 26, 2022, to March 25, 2022, inclusive.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/New-Juv.pdf

Face masks will remain mandatory inside all LA County courthouses despite the latest Los Angeles County directive loosening mask restrictions.

In accordance with the latest General Order, all persons―regardless of vaccination status―are required to wear face masks over their nose and mouth while in a courthouse.

However, the Court will not require members of the public to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test to access justice.”

Children under the age of two (2) are exempt, while all Court employees and judicial officers are required to wear masks inside courthouses.

Persons whose disabilities preclude them from wearing face masks compliant with the guidance are urged to seek an accommodation under Rule 1.100 of the California Rules of Court in advance of their court appearance or appointment.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22-NR-MASKS.pdf

The LASC will soon begin a phased transition of new and enhanced features in LACourtConnect (LACC).

The new features will, among other changes, allow parties and attorneys to chat and talk privately, screen share and view the courtroom proceedings before their case is called in a secure, virtual gallery environment.

Registration for appearances is being temporarily reduced from 30 to seven (7) days in advance of a hearing.

The phased rollout will first begin in Probate, followed by Civil, Family Law, and Traffic courtrooms. Afterward, the Court will then move Juvenile Dependency courtrooms from  Webex to LACC for remote courtroom appearances tentatively scheduled for April/May.

Since its launch in June 2020, more than 1 million individuals have appeared remotely through LACourtConnect.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/22-NR-LACC-UPDATE.pdf

The LASC has announced the upcoming launch of the Early Resolution Employment Case Mandatory Settlement Conference Pilot Program (Pilot Program) to encourage resolution of employment cases assigned to five Independent Calendar (IC) courtrooms in the Court’s Central Civil Division at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

Beginning February 14, judicial officers in these IC courtrooms will identify and assign appropriate cases to an early virtual Mandatory Settlement Conference (MSC) to be conducted through Resolve Law LA (RLLA). The Pilot Program is intended to assist less-complex cases in avoiding the expense and delay of protracted litigation through early dispute resolution. It also will reduce backlogs in the IC courts and improve the speedy resolution of disputes between employees and employers.

For full details, go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/22-NR-EMPLOYMENT-CASE-MANDATORY-SETTLEMENT-CONFERENCE-PILOT-PROGRAM.pdf

Effective February 1, court users and attorneys who wish to receive reminders of upcoming court hearings can now use the Court’s new Hearing Reminder Service (HRS) to receive free email and/or text message reminders two weeks and/or two days before their court hearing.

HRS is available for all litigation types except for Juvenile and Appellate cases.

For all the details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/22-NR-HEARING-REMINDER-SERVICE.pdf

Effective January 31, the LASC Probate Division has reassigned Judge Ruben Garcia to Department 9 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

All matters previously assigned to Dept. 9 will be assigned to Judge Garcia for all purposes. All matters currently calendared shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set, unless otherwise notified.

Counsel and parties are instructed to identify the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents filed with the clerk, beneath the case number.

The Family Law Division has also announced several changes to its courtroom operations over the past several weeks.

Judge Jeanmarie K. Warren has been reassigned from Dept. 13 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to the Gov. George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach, replacing Judge Maria PuentePorras, while Judge Patricia A. Young is now assigned to Dept. 13 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. All matters previously assigned to Dept. 13 will be assigned to Judge Young for all purposes.

Commissioner Armando Duron is reassigned from Dept. 6 to Dept. 87 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. All matters previously assigned to Dept. 87 will be assigned to Commissioner Duron for all purposes and Judge Josh Freeman Stinn is assigned to Dept. 6 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. All matters previously assigned to Dept. 6 will be assigned to Judge Stinn for all purposes.

All matters currently calendared shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set, unless otherwise notified. Counsel and parties are instructed to identify the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents filed with the clerk, beneath the case number.

LASC Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor will give opening remarks at the first 2022 Judicial Mentor Program Outreach Workshop, followed by small virtual breakout rooms in which attorneys will have the opportunity to ask judges questions about the judicial application process.

“These free workshop sessions give attorneys the opportunity to learn more about the judicial application process that many aspiring jurists view as shrouded in mystery,” Presiding Judge Taylor said. “Members of our very talented bench are deeply committed to mentoring qualified judicial candidates from diverse backgrounds to serve as the next generation of judges who will bring valuable and varied life experiences, backgrounds and perspectives to serve Californians seeking access to justice.”

Register now at this link: JMP Outreach Workshop. The workshop will be held from Noon – 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Registration closes on January 18, 2022.

Launched in November 2020, the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Judicial Mentor Program has served approximately 2,200 members of the legal community through mentor pairing, outreach presentations and workshops.

Since the program’s inception, 98 judicial mentor volunteers have been paired with more than 170 attorneys from diverse backgrounds. Mentor judges meet with the attorneys to provide information about the application process, answer their questions and suggest career steps they can take to become qualified judicial applicants. The mentor relationship is expected to last for one year and the parties are required to meet at least four times within that year.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/22-NTA-Judicial-Mentor-Workshop.pdf

The LASC has issued a new General Order extending certain Juvenile deadlines through January 28, 2022.

The Order extends deadlines as follows – Juvenile Dependency (i) The time periods provided in Section 313 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within which a minor taken into custody pending Dependency proceedings must be released from custody to not more than seven (7) days, applicable only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from January 1, 2022, to January 28, 2022, inclusive.

In addition, the time periods provided in section 315 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within which a minor taken into custody pending Dependency proceedings must be given a detention hearing to not more than seven (7) days, applicable only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from January 1, 2022, to January 28, 2022, inclusive.

For further details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/21-NR-JUV-DEADLINES.pdf

Effective January 3, 2022, the LASC’s Juvenile Dependency Division will expand its footprint in east Los Angeles County with the launch of a pilot satellite courtroom at the Pomona South Courthouse to provide children and families in the Court’s East District better access to services.

Currently Dependency cases from the Pomona South Courthouse are heard at the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court in Monterey Park.

The opening of an additional Dependency courtroom will allow the Court to provide increased convenience and support to vulnerable families.

“The Court is always looking for efficient ways to expand access to justice in our communities,” Presiding Judge Taylor said. “We are proud to work with our justice partners to provide an additional Dependency courtroom to serve the needs of the children and families of Pomona and the rest of east Los Angeles County.”

For more details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/21-NR-DEPENDENCY-POMONA-281.pdf

The LASC has launched its Normalization of Operations Work plan (N.O.W.) for the Court and its justice partners to systematically address pandemic-related criminal case delays and safely restore criminal operations to pre-pandemic levels of efficiency.

N.O.W., the Court says, “builds on the Court’s measured and deliberate approach to safely restore court operations by reducing Criminal case backlogs and increasing timely and equal access to justice for criminal litigants.”

The plan calls for a focus on safely expanding the Court’s criminal operations while carefully monitoring COVID-19 case trends in Los Angeles County. It will also allow Court leadership to look at all aspects of criminal operations to address the pandemic’s impacts on the justice system, including the Emergency Bail Schedule.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/21-NR_NOW.pdf

The LASC has issued a new General Order extending certain Juvenile deadlines through December 31, 2021.

The Order extends deadlines as follows―Juvenile Dependency: The time periods provided in Section 313 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within which a minor taken into custody pending Dependency proceedings must be released from custody to not more than seven (7) days, applicable only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from December 4, 2021, to December 31, 2021, inclusive.

Also, the time periods provided in Section 315 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within which a minor taken into custody pending Dependency proceedings must be given a detention hearing to not more than seven (7) days, applicable only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from December 4, 2021, to December 31, 2021, inclusive.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/JUVENILE-DEADLINES.pdf

The LASC will receive $9.2 million in funding from the new Early Disposition Program (EDP) to address criminal case backlogs.

The funding comes under an allocation plan approved by the Judicial Council of California and will be leveraged in conjunction with the Temporary Assigned Judges Program (TAJP) that will provide additional judicial and staff resources to address COVID-related delays in Criminal cases as the Court reduces reliance on emergency orders and continuances.

For more details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/21-NR-EARLY-DISPOSITION-PROGRAM.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court Judicial Mentor Program is hosting an outreach workshop for those interested in becoming a judge.

The next workshop will be held virtually on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The interactive session will provide applicants with the opportunity to learn how each step of the application process works; analyze questions on the application; and participate in breakout room Q&A sessions with facilitators who are sitting judges.

The program will include remarks by the Hon. Eric Taylor, Presiding Judge, LA Superior Court; the Hon. Sergio Tapia, Supervising Judge, Criminal Division, LA Superior Court; and the Hon. Helen Zukin, Judge, LA Superior Court.

Scheduled breakout session facilitators include Judge Kimberley Guillemet, Judge Dean Hansell, Judge Peter Hernandez, Judge Michelle Kim, Judge Audra Mori, Judge Yolanda Orozco, Judge Laura Seigle, Judge Bobbi Tillmon, Judge Yvette Verastegui, and Judge Michelle Williams Court.

Click  here to register. The link to join the workshop will be sent on Oct. 19th.

After notifying employees they had 45 days to get fully vaccinated on or before October 7 as a condition of employment, approximately 99 percent of the nation’s largest trial court’s employees have provided proof of full vaccination or requested a medical or religious exemption as required under the Court’s mandatory vaccination policy.

The vaccine mandate, which took effect August 23, did not include judicial officers, as they are state Constitutional Officers and not employees of the Court.

However, Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor indicated that judicial officers are equally supportive of the vaccination effort, and that most judges are participating by voluntarily reporting their vaccination status. The Court was one of the first public sector employers in the state of California to announce a mandatory vaccination policy for its workforce.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/21-NR-Vaccinations.pdf

Effective today, Judge Victor G. Viramontes is reassigned to Dept. 93 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. He replaces Judge Joel L. Lofton.

According to the Court, all matters currently calendared shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set, unless otherwise notified.

Counsel and parties are instructed to identify the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents filed with the clerk, beneath the case number.

The LASC Appellate Division has set the 2022 calendar for Infraction and Misdemeanor and Limited Civil cases scheduled in the Appellate Division Courtroom at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

According to the Court, hearings for Infraction and Misdemeanor cases will be set at 1:30 p.m. and at 9:00 a.m. for Limited Civil cases on the following dates:

January 6 and 20; February 3 and 17; March 3 and 17; April 7 and 21; May 5 and 19; June 2 and 16; July 7 and 21; August 4 and 18; September 1 and 15; October 6 and 20; November 3 and 17; and December 1 and 1.

The changes to the calendar are subject to further order of the court.

The Odyssey Case Management System will undergo a major system upgrade the second weekend in October.

As a result, the following dependent services will be unavailable:

• From 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 8 through 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 10―Efiling through Electronic Filing Service Providers (EFSPs) for Juvenile Dependency and Probate cases.
• From 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 8 through 9 a.m. on Monday, October 11―Scheduling remote appearances through LACourtConnect for Civil, Family Law, Probate, Small Claims, Traffic, and Unlawful Detainers; Attorney Portal; Justice Partner Portal (JPP); and Online Traffic Services including Pay and Close Your Ticket, Request a Payment Plan, Request an Extension, Request Traffic School, Reserve a Court Date, Check Ticket Status, Traffic Avatar to help with Ticket Status.

No interruption of other website services is anticipated.

The LASC Family Law Division will implement mandatory electronic filing (efiling) for specified documents filed in cases in which litigants are represented by attorneys beginning Monday, November 15, 2021.

Self-represented litigants also will have the option to efile as of November 15.

Efiling provides efficiencies and enhances the Court’s ability to maintain complete and easily accessible records.

A virtual Information session for attorneys, legal professionals and electronic filing service providers will be held from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., Friday, October 1.

Detailed information about registering with an EFSP, exempt documents, common rejection reasons, proposed orders, and more will be provided.

For more details and a link to register for the October 1 information session, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/21-PN-EFILING-IN-FAMILY-LAW.pdf

Amending a previous General Order, the Los Angeles Superior Court has extended the deadlines for certain criminal matters by an additional two weeks, September 26, 2021, to October 9, 2021.

The Order also states that all persons―regardless of vaccination status―are required to wear face coverings over their nose and mouth while in a Los Angeles County courthouse.

Persons whose disabilities preclude them from wearing face coverings compliant with the guidance “are urged to seek an accommodation” under Rule 1.100 of the California Rules of Court in advance of their court appearance or appointment.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/21-NR-AMENDED-GO-9-23-21.pdf

A new LASC General Order has been issued that extends certain Criminal and Juvenile deadlines as the Court balances access to justice with its commitment to safeguard the well-being of court users.

The extension comes as the Court ’s application for relief, which will assist the Court to safely continue its careful restoration of court operations as the highly infectious Delta variant continues to spread in LA County, was recently granted by California Chief Justice Tani Cantil Sakauye.

The new Order also states that in accordance with General Order 2021-GEN-023-00, all persons – regardless of vaccination status – are required to wear face coverings over their nose and mouth while in a courthouse.

In addition, it mandates that persons seeking services from the Clerk’s Office, court support services, and/or the Self -Help Centers are encouraged to schedule appointments.

For full details, go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Deadlines.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court Complex Civil Division will implement mandatory electronic filing (efiling) for Complex cases beginning Monday, September 20, 2021.

Efiling provides efficiencies and enhances the Court’s ability to maintain complete and easily accessible records.

As previously announced, the Court will offer virtual informational meetings for attorneys, legal professionals and Electronic Filing Service Providers (EFSPs) next week to provide detailed information and answer questions.

For meeting details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/21-NTA_Complex-Efiling.pdf

Family Law Division Courtroom Change

September 9, 2021 – The LASC Family Law Division will implement the following changes to courtroom operations, effective September 13, 2021:

• Judge Timothy M. Weiner is temporarily reassigned from the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse, 275 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, to Dept. J at the Torrance Courthouse, 825 Maple Ave., Torrance.

All matters currently calendared for Departments S14, S15 and S16 of the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set, unless otherwise notified.

Self-represented litigants now have access to additional online tools to assist them in starting and concluding their Family Law cases, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court.

The new online options expand the Court’s self-help solutions and remote services available for litigants to initiate and resolve their cases without attorneys.

An online Dissolution Orientation workshop is now available in the Court’s Self-Help catalog of services and is accessible at any time. This interactive, educational workshop guides litigants through relevant law and procedure before they start or respond to their marital dissolution case.

The workshop is divided into seven (7) short lessons that cover key topics including child custody, child support, spousal support, community and separate property and the requirements for service of court documents.

Litigants can view the workshop at their convenience without the need to schedule an appointment. Each lesson can be viewed independently, or a litigant can complete the entire workshop in one session.

Please go https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/21_NR_New_Online_Tools_for_Self-Represented_Litigants_in_Family_Law-1.pdf to for full details.

September 7, 2021 – Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor has announced the extension of the Court’s relaxed dress code policy, first implemented on April 1, 2020, in light of the continued fluctuation trends in COVID-19 numbers in Los Angeles County.

“The Court will remain flexible in its professional dress code,” Judge Taylor said. “While not fully returning to formal business attire, all authorized persons, including, but not limited to prosecutors, public defenders, and private attorneys, should dress courtroom appropriate whether appearing in person or remotely.”

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/21_NR_DRESS_CODE_POLICY.pdf

The LASC will offer virtual information meetings for attorneys, legal professionals, and electronic filing service providers will be offered in September.

Efiling provides efficiencies and enhances the Court’s ability to maintain complete and easily accessible records. The Court will soon implement the efiling of all documents filed in the Civil Complex Division. Efiling will be mandatory for attorneys upon implementation.

A virtual meeting for attorneys is scheduled for Monday, September 13, 2021, from 4 to 5 p.m. Detailed information regarding the implementation of Complex efiling, including new requirements specific to Complex documents, will be provided. Use this link to join as an attendee for the Virtual Meeting on September 13.

A virtual meeting tailored for legal professionals and EFSPs is scheduled for Thursday, September 16 from 4 to 5 p.m. Legal professionals such as legal assistants, legal secretaries and EFSPs are strongly encouraged to attend. Use this link to join as an attendee for the Virtual Meeting on September 16.

The Court transitioned to mandatory electronic filing (efiling) for Limited and Unlimited jurisdiction Civil cases beginning in November 2018.

Effective Tuesday, September 7, the general public seeking to observe court proceedings, including the media, at the Spring Street Courthouse, located in a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, will be required to fill out a form to certify whether they are fully vaccinated or not prior to entry using a mandated federal form.

Visitors who are not fully vaccinated, or decline to provide information about their vaccination status, must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test which is no older than three (3) days at the time of entry.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/21-PN-Spring-Street.pdf

August 24, 2021 – Effective September 7, 2021, Commissioner Lynette Gridiron Winston will be assigned to Dept. 3 at the West Covina Courthouse, 1427 W. Covina Pkwy, West Covina.

Dept. 3 is a Small Claims/Unlawful Detainer court.

Effective October 1, Commissioner Gridiron Winston will be reassigned to Dept. 2 at the West Covina Courthouse, an Unlawful Detainer court.

Counsel and parties are instructed to indicate the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents submitted for filing to ensure proper departmental assignment, calendaring of hearings and document routing.

The LASC has said it will waive the $15 cost recovery fee for all hearings beginning Tuesday, September 7 for LACourtConnect (LACC), its remote courtroom appearance technology.

The Court has elected to devote some of the one-time state budget funds provided by the State Legislature for COVID-related backlogs to cover the cost of LACC for all litigants to encourage the use of remote appearances. It is strongly felt that the move will greatly assist the Court in addressing its backlog of pending cases.

Providing LACC at no cost, the Court said, will also help in its ongoing efforts to strongly encourage remote appearances, especially as the Delta variant increases COVID-19 transmission in Los Angeles County.

For more details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/21-NR-LACC-WAIVED-FEE.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court has received emergency authority to help combat and operationalize the impact of the recent COVID-19 surge.

Consequently, a new General Order extending certain Criminal deadlines by two (2) weeks and certain Juvenile deadlines by four (4) weeks as Los Angeles County continues to experience community spread of COVID-19.

Although the emergency authority granted authorizes Presiding Judge Taylor to order extensions for up to 30 days, the Court’s approach has been to order shorter extensions, thereby allowing it to reevaluate emerging developments in countywide COVID-19 infections and health department guidance.

This measured approach “enables the Court to evaluate court operations and to take into account the needs and input of its justice partners…and continue its measured expansion of Civil and Criminal jury trials as the Court works cautiously to return operations and access to justice to pre-pandemic levels, while remaining mindful of the continued public health threat the Delta variant of COVID-19 poses.”

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/1420218131602021NRAugust13_GO.pdf

Effective August 16, the LASC Family Law Division will implement several changes to courtroom operations: at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. On the effective date:

• Judge Audra Mori is reassigned from Dept. 84 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to the Civil Division.
• Judge Michelle L. Kazadi is assigned to Dept. 84 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
• All matters currently calendared in Dept. 84 shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set and are assigned for all purposes to Judge Kazadi as of August 16, unless otherwise notified.

Counsel and parties are instructed to identify the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents filed with the clerk, beneath the case number.

The Los Angeles Superior Court, the largest trial court in the nation, will require its 4,600 employees to get vaccinated as a condition of employment no later than 45 days after the U. S. Food & Drug Administration gives final approval to at least one COVID-19 vaccine.

The Court has continuously required face masks since June 2020 without interruption. While social distancing is no longer required because of the change in guidance from state, county and federal public health agencies, the Court strongly urges attorneys to appear remotely for hearings and urges the public to make appointments for Self-Help and Clerk’s Office services.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/21_NR_Employee_Vaccinations.pdf

The LASC is planning a series of changes it will make in its Civil Division over the next 60 days “to provide more timely access to justice by shifting resources to manage caseloads, help settle more cases, offer more trial capacity by reopening departments closed prior to the pandemic, and being prepared for any increase in Unlawful Detainer (UD) cases,” among other changes.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/21-NR-Additional-Civil-Resources.pdf

In just a few weeks, attorney members of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association will have the opportunity to elect their Bar Leaders by voting in the Bar’s annual Board of Trustees election.

“By allowing members to choose from a ballot of candidates rather than a predetermined slate, our Board of Trustees is much more representative of our membership,” says SFVBA President David G. Jones. “This year, for the first time, the election will be conducted online with ballots emailed to attorney members the second week of August.”

The last day to submit a ballot will be Friday, September 10. Members may request a ballot to be sent by U. S. Mail rather than instead of electronic mail by contacting the Executive Director, Rosie Soto Cohen, by August 23 at (818) 227-0497.

To view the 2021 SFVBA Election Pamphlet, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Election-Pamphlet-2-1.pdf 

LASC Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor has elected to extend to August 13 relief for criminal trials and juvenile dependency hearings that was previously granted to him by California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye in early July.

The original relief was set to expire on July 30.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/21-NR-July-29-GO-with-Order.pdf

Effective immediately, attorneys, justice partners and the public are mandated to wear masks and “vigilantly follow” COVID-19 protocols in courthouses, according to the latest General Order issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor today implored all court users to comply with the Court’s mandatory face mask requirement and other public health guidance to protect everyone seeking and delivering justice in the County’s courthouses “as the delta variant spreads more widely in L. A. County.”

For complete details of the new General Order, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/21-NR-COVID_Protocols.pdf

The LASC Probate Division is giving advance notice that it will amend the courtroom calendar sessions for probate matters due to the General Order of the Presiding Judge, which in part rescinds social distancing requirements in the courthouse.

Effective January 2, 2022, the Probate Clerk’s Office will schedule hearings at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 11:00 a.m.. The 8:30 a.m. calendar session will continue to be used for scheduling initial petitions and orders to show cause; guardianship petitions will be scheduled at 10:30 a.m.; and conservatorship petitions will be scheduled at 11:00 a.m.

Courtrooms will also have sessions available at 9:30 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. The 9:30 a.m. calendar will be available to judicial officers as a calendaring tool for matters which are contested, take more time to resolve, and for motions. Afternoon sessions will be reserved for evidentiary hearings, including trials. Judicial Officers will continue to have discretion to add settings to their department calendars as needed to maximize case management and overall efficiency in the courtrooms.

While these changes do not take effect until January 2022, Petitions filed with the Clerk’s Office in the coming months assigned a hearing date after January 2 will adhere to this scheduling criteria. This information is intended to provide advance information of the upcoming change planned at this time.

Please note that given the unprecedented pandemic that we are experiencing, this information is subject to change based on unforeseen circumstances. The Probate Division will remain compliant with any further General Orders issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court that may cause further adjustment to probate calendars.

While the calendar sessions will be changing, modifications made to the ex parte procedure at the start of the pandemic will remain in place. Specifically, the Court will continue to resolve noticed ex parte applications without the attendance of counsel or litigants at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

Rulings will continue to be made based solely upon timely filings, pursuant to the adopted local rules for filing of ex parte applications.

The entire General Order can be seen at 2021-GEN-023-00.

Effective immediately, as the LASC Civil Division continues to safely and carefully move civil cases to trial while responding to concerns about the increase in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, attorneys are advised that judges may conduct jury selection in larger courtrooms, when available; and allow jurors to sit throughout the courtroom rather than only in the jury box.

These decisions will be made at the discretion of each trial judge.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21-NTA-CIVIL-DIVISION-JURY-MEASURES.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court has announced a 2-week extension of deadlines for certain Criminal cases and a 4-week extension for juvenile dependency proceedings, marking a measured shift in court operations to help the Court and its users recover from caseloads impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, the California Supreme Court granted the Superior Court of Los Angeles County’s application for relief which sought authority to extend Criminal deadlines by four (4) weeks with a plan to open trial courts more fully while retaining the flexibility to address the logjam of pending trials now before a limited number of trial courtrooms.

LASC Presiding Judge Taylor has elected to issue an initial order within this framework extending Criminal deadlines by two (2) weeks to provide notice to judicial officers, justice partners and the parties, and providing them an opportunity to plan and prepare for the work ahead.

Meanwhile, the Court will monitor courtroom capacity limits against trial demands, while carefully watching local COVID trends and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LA DPH) advisories and orders.

Presiding Judge Taylor encouraged all court users to comply with public health mandates as Los Angeles County experiences a noticeable increase in reported COVID-19 cases that prompted the LADPH to issue more restrictive indoor mask policies for all persons, regardless of vaccination status.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21-NR-July-19-GO-with-Order.pdf

Effective today, July 12, 2021, all courtrooms at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for court holidays, eliminating the a.m., p.m. calendars implemented during the height of the pandemic.

CJC operating hours were not impacted and will remain the same. Appointments are strongly encouraged but are not required for in-person service at the Clerk’s Office.

In accordance with LASC General Order No. 2021-GEN-023-00, all persons are to wear a face mask over their nose and mouth while in a courthouse. Persons whose disabilities preclude them from wearing face coverings are urged to seek an accommodation under Rule 1.100 of the California Rules of Court in advance of their court appearance or appointment.

A list of ADA liaisons is available at http://www.lacourt.org/ada/adahome.aspx

The Los Angeles Superior Court has ordered select PI cases to a virtual Mandatory Settlement Conference (MSC) for those heard in Departments 27, 28, 29, 31, and 32 at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

Pursuant to California Rule of Court Rule 3.1380:

• MSCs will be held after the Final Status Conference (FSC) and before the trial date.
• MSCs will be scheduled with ResolveLawLA.
• MSCs will be held virtually via www.resolvelawla.com. On the date of the MSC, a judge will be available to assist the parties virtually if needed.

According to the LASC, the virtual MSCs scheduled with ResolveLawLA are now being held with volunteer settlement attorneys/officers from the the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation, and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles.

https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/21-NTA-MSC-FOR-PI-HUB-CASES_StandingOrder.pdf

Effective today, Monday, June 28, 2021, the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Civil Division has implemented several changes to its jury trial and MSC operations in response to the elimination of social distancing in all Los Angeles county courthouses.

All Civil jury trials will no longer be coordinated through Dept. 1 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Dept. 1 will continue to be a master calendar for assignment to trial for Personal Injury (PI) Hub cases, those PI-complicated cases not to be tried in the assigned I/C court, as well as non-Stanley Mosk Unlawful Detainer, Limited or Long Cause cases, as it was before the pandemic.

Mandatory Status Conferences (MSC) or mediation are no longer required within 90 days prior to a Civil jury trial (except for certain PI cases, which will take advantage of the recently announced Resolve Law LA Virtual MSC Program). Already-set MSCs will remain on calendar unless otherwise ordered by the judicial officer presiding over the case.

https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/21-NTA-CIVIL-DIVISION-CHANGES-JUNE-28.pdf

The Family Law Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court will implement several changes courtroom operations at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

Effective July 6, 2021:

• Judge David W. Swift is reassigned from Department 25 to Department 59.
• Matters previously assigned to Department 59 will be assigned to Judge Swift for all purposes. All matters currently calendared in Department 59 shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set, unless otherwise notified.
• Commissioner Doreen B. Boxer is reassigned from Department 59 to Department 25.
• All matters previously assigned to Department 25 will be assigned to Commissioner Boxer for all purposes.

All matters currently calendared in Department 25 shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set, unless otherwise notified. Counsel and parties are instructed to identify the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents filed with the clerk, beneath the case number.

https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/21-NTA-FAMILY-LAW-CHANGES-IN-MOSK_062521.pdf

Effective today, Monday, June 28, 2021, L. A. County courthouses will operate without any public access restrictions, eliminating the requirement for advance appointments for service as well as the need to make an online request for in-person courtroom seating, according to a new General Order issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court.

However, face masks will remain mandatory inside all courthouses in compliance with Cal/OSHA workplace standards.

The new G. O., in effect, eliminates social distancing in public spaces and also encourages the public seeking services from the Clerk’s Office, court support services, and/or the Self-Help Centers to continue scheduling advance appointments to reduce lines.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/21-NR-JUNE-28-2021-GO.pdf

A virtual Town Hall to highlight the recent launch of the Resolve Law LA Virtual Mandatory Settlement Conference (MSC) Program will be held at 12 p.m. on Monday, June 28, 2021.

The MSC program partners with experienced plaintiff and defense litigation attorneys to act as volunteer settlement officers to resolve cases pending in the Court’s Personal Injury (PI) Hub.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/21-NR-Virtual-MSC-Town-Hall.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court has issued a new General Order extending last-day deadlines for Criminal and Juvenile Dependency matters to assist the Court in its ongoing post-pandemic expansion of jury trials in the nation’s largest trial court.

The new Order will allow the Court to responsibly transition to operate safely at pre-pandemic levels. For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/21-NR-June-GO-2021_061821.pdf

The L. A. Superior Court’s cost-recovery fee for LACourtConnect (LACC) video remote appearances has been reduced due to recent changes in its video and audio platform.

Effective July 1, 2021, the cost-recovery fee for LACC video appearances will be reduced from $23 to $15, matching the $15 cost-recovery fee for audio appearances. LACC continues to be free for litigants with fee waivers.

Providing services at the lowest possible cost, the Court said, “will encourage remote participation across a wide spectrum of court users, especially among vulnerable populations.”

The LASC recently transitioned 250 LACC-equipped courtrooms to the Microsoft Teams platform for improved remote video and audio appearances in Civil, Family Law, Probate, Small Claims, and some Traffic matters.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/21-NTA_LACC_Price.pdf

Face masks and social distancing remain in effect in all L. A. County courthouses until further notice, according to the latest General Order issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court.

To avoid confusion, as the state and county public health departments change their COVID-19 protocols, the general public, including all who visit and work in County courthouses, is being asked to continue to follow the Court’s face mask and social distancing requirements.

The new G.O. requires all persons entering any courthouse or courtroom to wear a face mask over their nose and mouth at all times within public areas of the courthouse or courtroom; non-exempt individuals who decline or refuse to wear a face mask will be denied entry to the courthouse and/or courtroom.

Individuals who remove their face masks after entering the courthouse or courtroom will be reminded to wear them. If they refuse, they may be denied services, may have their legal matters rescheduled and/or will be asked to leave the courthouse or courtroom immediately; persons who refuse to leave voluntarily will be escorted out of the courthouse and/or courtroom by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department personnel.

Individuals are also required to maintain at least six (6) feet of physical distance from all persons―except those within the same household―at all times and comply with social distance signage throughout the courthouse and use hand sanitizer when entering the courthouse, practice good hand-washing hygiene and cover coughs and sneezes, preferably with a tissue.

To access the entire General Order, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/NR_June-15_Masks.pdf

June 14, 2021 – The state Judicial Council has developed a suite of resources and materials to help court users understand language access services and navigate basic court processes.

Materials include short instructional videos, public service announcements, and info-graphic flyers and brochures in English and eight other languages – Cantonese, Farsi, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Topics include working with court interpreters, how to serve legal papers, preparing for a small claims case, and information on fee waivers.

To access the new language access materials, go to Multilingual Materials to Help Court Users_Digital Media Guide.pdf.

Effective Monday, May 17, four Unlawful Detainer (UD) courtrooms in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse will be designated as direct calendar UD courtrooms.

Currently, there are two existing calendar/law and motion UD courtrooms and two UD trial courtrooms. Beginning Monday, Limited Jurisdiction UD cases will be assigned randomly to each of the four UD direct calendar courtrooms.

By this reorganization, the Court “hopes to improve management of cases, including having one judge assigned from start to finish, and thereby provide greater efficiency and predictability for litigants.”

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/21-NTA-UD-Hub-051321.pdf

The Superior Court of Los Angeles is launching a new voluntary pilot program for litigants to obtain a prompt bench trial in cases assigned to the Personal Injury Hub courtrooms upon receipt of a stipulation by all parties to participate.

The Court is offering the alternative “in view of the current logistical concerns related to scheduling jury trials, resulting from the pandemic, as well as the high volume of cases in need of disposition.”

The 6-month pilot will take effect May 3, 2021 and end on November 1, 2021.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/21-NTA-PI-PROGRAM-W-FORM.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court has received emergency authority from the California Supreme Court to issue a new General Order extending last-day deadlines for Criminal trials, as well as Juvenile Dependency matters.

With the help of effective Department of Public Health[1]approved safety measures established in all courthouses, the Order assists the Court in the continuing safe expansion of Civil and Criminal jury trials throughout the county.

For complete details, go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/21-NR-APRIL-2021-GENERAL-ORDER.pdf

Parents and couples with pending divorce and paternity cases without attorneys will get some much-needed help from volunteer attorneys to finalize the paperwork necessary to obtain a judgment with a new “Judgment Assistance Day” pilot program, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Court’s self-help unit maintained an SRL-expedited judgment program to complete judgments in cases with settlement agreements, which has been temporarily discontinued due to the pandemic.

However, even with the program, many SRLs failed to prepare the crucial last document to conclude their settled or contested dissolution or parentage actions.

These documents are routine and simple to prepare if the case has been adjudicated and the issues are not complex. However, without any guidance to help them finish the forms, the parties never completed the documents and judicial officers were forced to continue “Entry of Judgment” dates multiple times.

For full details, go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/21-NR-Judgment-Assistance-Day.pdf

LASC Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor and California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye have issued a joint statement denouncing recent race-based violence.

“The Los Angeles Superior Court, its judicial officers and employees stand firmly with our Chief Justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, and our community leaders denouncing all violence and discrimination based on hate, bigotry or prejudice,” reads the statement.

“Our country continues its historical struggle against saddening racial divides, and now with the alarming and unacceptable targeting of many in our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in California and across our nation.

“Together, we have a responsibility and a moral obligation to confront and eliminate institutional discrimination against all people – regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Each of us knows in our hearts that silence is not an option in the face of injustice.

“Our Constitution, our democracy and our Courts stand for the proposition of equality and inclusion. The despicable actions of a few will not change that, nor will the voices of a few misguided outliers silence our chorus of solidarity that celebrates the differences that make us, as Americans, truly great.”

Effective today, all criminal competency proceedings under Penal Code Section 1368 initiated on or after March 15, 2021 will be assigned to the Mental Health Departments of the Probate Division.

All Criminal competency proceedings pending in the felony trial courts prior to March 15, 2021 shall remain assigned to those felony trial courts until their conclusion.

Under amended and approved local rules 2.10 and 2.13 that take effect July 1, 2021, all Criminal competency matters, except those pending prior to March 15, 2021, will be assigned to Mental Health Departments.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/21-NTA-CRIMINAL-COMPETENCY-ASSIGNMENT-CHANGES.pdf

The Los Angeles Superior Court is currently recruiting Temporary Judges.

A required 3-hour, live training session on Bench Conduct and Demeanor will be held via WebEx on Wednesday, April 14 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

AS MCLE credit is being offered, reservations for the session is required and must be received by April 9.

Temporary Judge Training for those Rule 2.812, et seq., of the California Rules of Court requires Temporary Judges to receive three hours of live training in Bench Conduct and Demeanor plus three hours of training in Judicial Ethics for Temporary Judges and at least one area of substantive law―Small Claims, Traffic, Unlawful Detainer, and Family Law.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/April-14-Temporary-Judge-Recruitment-Flyer.pdf

March 1, 2021 – In November 2020, the Los Angeles Superior Court introduced its Judicial Mentor Program, an initiative focusing on two interrelated goals: formal mentorship and community outreach for those experienced attorneys interested in becoming a judge.

A goal of the program―a one of a kind in the state which serves as a pilot program for several other counties―is to promote and emphasize California’s commitment to appointing a highly capable bench reflective of the rich diversity of the state.

Accordingly, the mentorship program seeks to identify and develop qualified, inclusive, and diverse judicial applicants practicing in Los Angeles County.

Judges are appointed as mentors to practicing lawyers who seek a seat on the bench and participate in training programs to ensure effective mentorship to the mentees.

In addition, the mentors will provide honest advice and guidance on how best to navigate through the application process and identify helpful pursuits to prepare the mentee to become better qualified candidates.

The mentee will obtain first-hand knowledge of the process and procedures in preparing for and applying to the Governor’s office in Sacramento for an appointment.

SFVBA’s Inclusion & Diversity Committee desires to reach any and all practicing attorneys who may have an interest in being appointed to the bench and to demystify any beliefs or assumptions that tend to dissuade attorneys from applying.

The program is available to all practicing attorneys in good standing with at least 10-years’ experience, while those who have been in practice for less than 10 years can reach out to the Mentorship Outreach Committee for input on suggested ways to enhance a future application.

The program does not accept attorneys who have already submitted to and have pending applications before the Governor.

The mentorship officially ends when the application is submitted and participating in the Judicial Mentor Program does not guarantee appointment to the bench.

For more information, those interested should attend the SFVBA’s Inclusion & Diversity Committee’s LASC Judicial Mentorship Program: The Road to Serving on the Bench event on March 23, 2021 at 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Panel speakers will include Judge Paul Bacigalupo, Judge Firdaus Dordi and Commissioner Marilyn Mordetzky.

The Los Angeles Superior Court has issued a new General Order extending last-day deadlines for criminal trials and specified hearings, as well as juvenile dependency cases.

“While the number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County has decreased and the number of persons being vaccinated against the coronavirus is increasing, the Court’s priority remains safe access to justice,” LASC Presiding Judge Taylor said. “The Court will continue to limit the number of persons in its courthouses and require compliance with mandatory mask and social distancing protocols.”

For full details on the new last-day deadliness, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/21-NR-NEW-GO-EXTENSIONS-FEB-25-2021.pdf

Effective today, bench changes will be implemented in the Mental Health, Juvenile Dependency and Family Law Departments at the Hollywood Courthouse  and the Van Nuys East Courthouses.

• Judge Ronald Owen Kaye is reassigned from Department 426 at the Alfred J. McCourtney Juvenile Justice Center to Department 213 at the Hollywood Courthouse. Judge Kaye’s primary assignment changes from Juvenile Dependency to Mental Health.
• Commissioner Laura Streimer is reassigned from Department 213 at the Hollywood Courthouse. Beginning March 15, Commissioner Streimer will be assigned to Department D at the Van Nuys East Courthouse and her primary assignment changes from Mental Health to Family Law.

Counsel and parties are instructed to indicate the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents submitted for filing, to ensure proper departmental assignment, calendaring of hearings and document routing.

Effective Monday, March 1, 2021, video will be available for remote courtroom appearances via LACourtConnect (LACC) for all family law case types, except AB 1058―child support―hearings.

Child Support court hearings may be conducted by conventional telephone appearance.

Prior judicial approval will no longer be required to appear by video for Family Law court appearances as of March 1. Audio appearances will continue to be available for all Family Law hearings.

For complete details, go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/21-NTA-LACourtConnect-FL-Video.pdf

The LASC Family Law Division has detailed changes, over the next two months, to the courtroom operations at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, the Van Nuys Courthouse, and the Santa Monica Courthouse.

Effective February 16, Judge Colin Leis is reassigned from Department 41 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to the Civil Division. Matters assigned to Department 41 will be reassigned by order of the Supervising Judge of the Family Law Division.

Judge Gary D. Roberts is reassigned from Department 87 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to Department Y of the Van Nuys Courthouse, effective February 22. Department Y will operate as a settlement department.

At the same time, Judge Amy M. Pellman is reassigned to Department 87 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. All matters currently calendared in Department 87 shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set and are assigned for all purposes to Judge Pellman as of February 22, unless otherwise notified.

Judge Joshua D. Wayser is reassigned from Department 60 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to Department E at the Santa Monica Courthouse, effective March 15. All matters previously assigned to Judge Wayser in Department 60 remain assigned to him in Department E.

Effective April 5, 2021, Judge Bruce G. Iwasaki is reassigned from Department 46 to Department 23 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. All matters previously assigned to Judge Iwasaki in Department 46 remain assigned to him in Department 23.

Counsel and parties are instructed to identify the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents filed with the clerk, beneath the case number.

Beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday, February 12 through 8 a.m. on Monday, February 15, the Los Angeles Superior Court’s website (www.lacourt.org) will be down due to a major system upgrade.

As part of this upgrade, the following services also will be unavailable:

• All online services found on the website including case and name searches, viewing of Tentative Rulings, and paying for a traffic ticket online.
• Efiling through the Court’s website. Filers may continue to efile through the E-Filing Service Providers’ (EFSP) websites.
• Registration of LACourtConnect for traffic hearings (other litigation areas are not affected).
• The ability to sign up to listen to hearings using the Remote Audio Attendance Program (RAAP).
• The Media Access Portal.

According to the LASC, the Jury Duty Portal will be available for jurors through a link on the temporary home page and the Attorney Portal will not be affected by this upgrade.

Effective February 1, Judge Timothy M. Weiner is assigned to the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach and preside over three departments, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Judge Weiner will preside in Departments S14, S15 and S16 on a rotating schedule.

All matters currently assigned to judicial officers in these departments remain so assigned and scheduled on the dates and times previously set. Such matters may be reassigned to Judge Weiner for all purposes on the date scheduled for hearing.

Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor today announced a new General Order extending last-day deadlines for Criminal trials and specified hearings, as well as Juvenile Dependency cases.

“The Court continues to prioritize health and safety while fulfilling our legislative and constitutional mandates,” Presiding Judge Taylor said.

“For nearly a year,” he added, “the Court has fully complied with CDC and County public health guidelines, prioritizing a broad range of public health and safety protocols. Judicial officers are encouraging remote appearances whenever possible and exercising their sound discretion to manage calendars to minimize the risk of exposure to everyone who works or appears in our courtrooms.”

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/21-NR-NEW-CONTINUANCES.pdf

January 11, 2021 – Effective immediately, the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center (CJC) in downtown Los Angeles, will implement A.M., P.M. calendars to limit the number of people entering the courthouse.

Departments designated as A.M. courtrooms will commence no earlier than 9:15 a.m. and will be closed in the afternoon, while Departments designated as P.M. courtrooms will begin no earlier than 1:45 p.m. and will be closed in the morning.

Arraignment, Preliminary Hearing, ODR, and Long Cause Felony courtrooms will remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To reduce foot traffic on the third floor, preliminary hearings may be transferred throughout the day to available courtrooms on the ninth floor.

CJC operating hours will remain the same―8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for court holidays.

Advance appointments for in-person service at the Clerk’s Office are still required. Sheriff’s Department personnel are directed to enforce the mandatory face mask requirement and social distancing protocols in courthouses.

For full details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/21-NTA-CJC-MOVING-TO-AM-PM-CALENDARS-FINAL.pdf

Effective today, attorneys and members of the public, including the news media, will be able to listen remotely to non-confidential court proceedings throughout the Superior Court of Los Angeles County using the Court’s new Remote Audio Appearance Program (RAAP).

RAAP enables users with a smart phone, tablet or computer with internet service to establish a remote connection to courtrooms and listen to non-confidential court proceedings.

Under California Rules of Court 1.150, photography, recording and/or broadcasting of any court proceeding, whether remotely or in-person, is prohibited without a written order from the judicial officer presiding over the matter. As a result, the Court will not authorize any recording or broadcast of proceedings via RAAP.

For complete details and information how to sign-in to RAAP, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/21_NTA_RAAP.pdf

Long Beach Family Law Courtroom Change

Effective January 15, 2021, Judge Carla L. Garrett will be assigned to Department S14 at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach.

All Family Law matters currently calendared in the department mentioned above “shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set, unless otherwise notified,” according to the General Order issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court.

LASC Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile has issued a new General Order that extends certain Dependency deadlines due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Extended are the time period provided in section 313 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within which a minor taken into custody pending Dependency proceedings must be released from custody to not more than seven (7) days.

This extension applies only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from November 9, 2020, to December 5, 2020, inclusive.

Also extended is the time period provided in Section 315 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within which a minor taken into custody pending Dependency proceedings must be given a detention hearing to not more than seven (7) days, applicable only to minors for whom the statutory deadline would otherwise expire from November 9, 2020, to December 5, 2020, inclusive.

The extensions were granted under Government Code Section 68115.

LASC Probate Division is implementing changes to judicial assignments at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

Effective November 12, Judge Ana Maria Luna will be reassigned from Department 79 to Department 11. All cases assigned to Department 11 will be reassigned to Judge Luna for all purposes. She replaces Judge Barbara R. Johnson who retired from the Court on September 30.

At the same time, Commissioner Mary Wickham will be assigned to Department 79. All cases assigned to Department 79 will be reassigned to Commissioner Wickham for all purposes, unless otherwise ordered transferred to Department 11.

Counsel and parties are instructed to indicate the assigned judicial officer and department on the first page of all documents submitted for filing to ensure proper departmental assignment, calendaring of hearings and document routing.

November 3, 2020 – LASC Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile and Presiding Judge-Elect Eric C. Taylor, along with Judicial Appointments Secretary Martin Jenkins, are hosting a virtual kick-off meeting of the new Judicial Mentor Program at 5 p.m. on November 9.

Other key judicial officers also will participate. The purpose of this new program is to assist in the recruitment and development of a qualified, inclusive and diverse judicial applicant pool.

The program is designed to identify, encourage and provide mentors for all individuals considering a judicial career.

Watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdD0fJT_ih8&feature=youtu.be

Effective today, amended Local Rule 5.3(a)(2) will require all Family Law ex parte applications and oppositions in all cases other than Restraining Orders to be presented for filing by 10 a.m. in all districts.

This modification eliminates the variation in the deadline among districts and eliminates the need for litigants to communicate with the Clerk of Court to determine a deadline for a specific district.

Among other impacts, the court may make emergency orders based on the documents submitted or may set a hearing before ruling on an ex parte application. The court will provide reasonable notice of such hearing to permit in-person or remote appearances.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/20-NTA-Uniform-Family-Law-Ex-Parte-Filing-Deadlines-for-All-Districts-Does-Not-Include-ROs.pdf

LASC Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile and Presiding Judge-Elect Eric C. Taylor have announced the creation of the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Judicial Mentorship Program.

The will be the first program of its kind in the County of Los Angeles.

A standing committee has been formed comprised of a diverse group of judges to identify, encourage, and provide mentors for all individuals considering a judicial career.

The program will work with all sectors of the legal community, including bar associations, public interest organizations, government attorneys, private law firms, and solo practitioners to develop wide-ranging outreach and provide effective mentorship to all individuals who participate.

For complete details on the new Mentor program, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20-NR-PJ_APJ-Mentor-Program.pdf

Effective November 2, the LASC’s Family Law Division will implement a number of changes to courtroom operations, including bench assignments,  at the Compton, Whittier, and Stanley Mosk Courthouses.

Requests for Temporary Restraining Orders not filed in an existing Family Law case will be randomly assigned. Requests for Temporary Restraining Orders filed in an existing Family Law case will be heard in the assigned home court.

All matters currently calendared in the departments mentioned above shall remain scheduled on the dates and times previously set unless otherwise notified.

Counsel and parties are instructed to identify the assigned judicial officer and department beneath the case number on the first page of all documents filed with the clerk.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20-NTA-FAMILY-LAW-CHANGES-ANNOUNCED.pdf

In an effort to preserve the constitutional right to a speedy trial, the LASC will give priority to criminal trials that were previously continued under a judicial emergency order (Penal Code § 1382) in assigning available prospective jurors for either misdemeanor or felony jury trials.

Presently, there are approximately 7,000 criminal cases that must be tried to satisfy defendants’ statutory speedy trial rights.

At the same time, while most civil trials will be continued until January 2021, all other civil non-jury trials may resume on or after November 16, 2020

According to the latest General Order, a number of other proceedings will be resumed. They include small claims and traffic trials; juvenile dependency matters allowed under the dependency prioritization plan; and family law evidentiary proceedings, whether family code section 217 hearings or trials, other than restraining order hearings, that may be completed within two court days.

The new General Order maintains and reiterates the previous orders of Presiding Judge Brazile regarding mandatory face coverings, observance of social distancing protocols, limited access to proceedings, and the need for appointments to visit the Clerk’s Office and Self-Help Centers.

For complete details, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20-NR-PRESIDING-JUDGE-ISSUES-NEW-GO-10092020.pdf

Members of the Los Angeles Superior Court Bench have elected Judge Samantha P. Jessner as the Assistant Presiding Judge for the 2021-22 term beginning January 1, 2021. Judge Jessner will serve with Presiding Judge-Elect Eric C. Taylor, who was elected by the Court’s bench last month to succeed current Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile.

Judge Jessner has served as the Supervising Judge of the Court’s Civil Division since January 1, 2019, overseeing the state’s largest Civil Division. In that position, Judge Jessner has worked to develop protocols to hear cases safely and effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic, including developing jury selection methods and juror questionnaires, implementing remote appearance technology, and chairing the COVID-19 Advisory Committee with members of the bar.

For Judge Jessner’s complete bio, please go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20-NR-APJ-Jessner.pdf

September 29, 2020 – Hearings scheduled next year in the Los Angeles County Superior Court Appellate Division will be calendared at 9 a.m. for infraction and misdemeanor cases and at 1:30 p.m. for limited civil cases on the dates listed below.

All respective cases will be heard in the Appellate Division courtroom, Department 70, Room 615, at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

The scheduled dates, subject to further order of the Court, are: January 7 and 21; February 4 and 18; March 4 and 18; April 1 and 15; May 6 and 20; June 3 and 17; July 1 and 15; August 5 and 19; September 2 and 16; October 7 and 21; November 4 and 18; and December 2 and 16.

Effective October 5, 2020, the LASC will implement mandatory efiling for all non-adoption documents filed by litigants and/or agencies represented by attorneys in Juvenile Dependency.

Per the First Amended General Order issued on August 19:

• The Department of Children and Family Services is required to electronically file documents with the Court, either through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP) or by acting as an approved EFSP.
• Represented litigants and agencies are required to efile documents through an approved EFSP.
• Documents must be efiled as a PDF, must be text searchable and must include bookmarks.
• Any document received electronically before midnight on a court day is deemed to have been effectively filed on that court day, if accepted. Any document electronically received after midnight is deemed to have been effectively filed on the next court date.

Please see the First Amended General Order for more information and requirements: http://www.lacourt.org/division/efiling/pdf/GeneralOrderMandatoryDependencyEfiling.pdf

For more information on efiling, including a list of approved EFSPs, please visit: http://www.lacourt.org/division/efiling/efiling2.aspx

Chief Judge Maureen Tighe has issued a new General Order detailing further restrictions on operations and activities at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court.

The new directive was accompanied by a letter from Judge Tighe which follows below:

“As you may have read in the Public Notice that went out on Friday, we have had to reduce any in-person proceedings at the Bankruptcy Court even further. As you could probably tell from how quickly one general order superseded another, we have been agonizing over how to best serve the public and still keep people safe. After consultation with Chief District Judge Gutierrez and Clerk of Court Kathy Campbell, I decided it was best to be consistent with the District Court decision to hold no in-person hearings that were not required by law. 

“I know this will cause confusion for many of you with important evidentiary hearings and trials scheduled. I trust you and the assigned judge will be able to work out an alternative. We had hoped very limited in-person hearings and trials could be held with appropriate safeguards, but the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the district makes that too risky at this time. There is guidance on the website about how to use Zoomgov, and we will continue hearing cases with whatever remote modalities we can. 

“Please call the courtroom deputy or chambers if you have any questions about something scheduled in a particular case. I expect it will take a few days to sort out this sudden change in circumstances for all scheduled matters. All hearings continue to be open to the public through either telephone or video. If instructions are not on the court calendar, simply call the courtroom deputy for the assigned judge. 

“Although all represented parties can file and appear electronically, we are still concerned with access for self-represented parties, especially as economic conditions worsen. It was important for us to keep at least one intake area open for those who cannot file electronically. 

“The Roybal Federal Courthouse will be set up to accept filings for the entire district. Appropriate safeguards are in place, and people will be allowed into the building for that limited purpose. Although Roybal is quite a drive for many, it is centrally located and set up to handle a volume of filings. We have posted extensive information about how self-represented debtors can file both initial petitions and later pleadings electronically. 

“We hope to post an electronic learning module shortly explaining how to use eSR, our electronic self-represented bankruptcy filing program. If you know of anyone considering a bankruptcy filing, please encourage them to find counsel, and, if not, to consult the court website: https://www.cacb.uscourts.gov/filing-without-an-attorney. 

“Ideally, we could find a way for every party to be represented. If you think of more ways we can get information out to help people use attorneys, please let us know. We are greatly indebted to our pro bono partners for the assistance they are providing and the ways they have figured out how to help indigent clients remotely. There are also links on the website for attorneys wishing to volunteer their services for any of these organizations. 

“I encourage you to consider this if you have not already done so. Oddly, it is much easier to fit it in to a busy day because you can do it remotely. Even limited advice often can make a huge difference for some people. If a self-represented party is not able to file electronically, mail the pleadings, or come to Roybal, there is a help line available where we can make alternative arrangements – (855) 460-9641. Our staff has been handling every type of trouble-shooting since last March, and will get back to any message left on this line.” 

We may be facing unprecedented bankruptcy filings. Anything you can do now to your improve electronic filing skills, get trained as a volunteer, or get ready for what may come will help us all weather this crisis better. I greatly appreciate your continued patience and understanding at this trying time.”

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has closed its doors to the public and delayed all civil and criminal jury trials until further notice. The Courthouse is located at 350 W. 1st St. in downtown Los Angeles.

Although judges can offer bench trials for civil matters, no criminal jury trials will take place until “gating criteria” is met, according to Court Clerk, Kiry Gray, adding that the operational changes are in response to “the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in the District.”

The court will decide civil cases telephonically or by video conference, and with defendants’ consent, criminal cases will also proceed remotely. Criminal matters that do proceed in-person will have a limit of 10 people present in the courtroom at a time.

Criminal bench duty will continue to take place virtually in the Roybal Courthouse in Los Angeles and Santa Ana Courthouse, or in-person if defendants do not consent, the notice states.

The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has released a set of guidelines to help lawyers determine if information received from a prospective client could disqualify the lawyer or the lawyer’s firm from representing a client.

Formal Opinion 492 interprets Model Rule 1.18, which addresses a lawyer’s duties to prospective clients, of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. The rule governs when a lawyer is limited from accepting a new client whose interests are materially adverse to a former prospective client in the same or a substantially related matter. Rule 1.18 prohibits the representation if the prospective client provided the lawyer with information that “could be significantly harmful” to the prospective client in the new matter.

The opinion explains “significantly harmful” – a phrase in 1.18(c)— and explores how that would be applied in several situations.

“Whether information that ‘could be significantly harmful’ has been disclosed by a prospective client is a fact-specific inquiry and determined on a case-by-case basis,” the formal opinion said. “The test focuses on the potential harm in the new matter.”

The opinion uses a number of state ethics opinions and a decision from the North Dakota Supreme Court to explain that information is “significantly harmful” if it includes, for example, views of the prospective client on strategies for managing a situation; settlement issues or trial strategy; personal accounts of relevant events; sensitive personal information, including financial information; or other information that is sensitive or privileged.

The opinion also notes that under Rule 1.18, even if the lawyer learned information that could be significantly harmful to the prior prospective client in the new matter, the lawyer’s firm can accept the new matter if the lawyer is screened from the new matter or the prospective client provides informed consent.

The entire opinion can be found at https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/aba-formal-opinion-492.pdf

Starting June 7, all attorneys practicing in Los Angeles County will be able to create a Court ID to participate in the Superior Court’s new ATTORNEY PORTAL and LACOURTCONNECT remote courtroom appearance programs.

Initially, probate attorneys with Mandatory Settlement Conferences will be able to schedule remote appearances while there will be a phased-in introduction of other litigation area through the late summer of 2020.

Starting then, attorneys can subscribe to a set of advanced features that provide one-stop access to case documents filed with the Court and a case calendar and permit access on a case basis to fellow attorneys and support staff.

For detailed information on the new program and how to sign-up for a Court ID, go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/PORTAL.pdf

Attorneys and self-represented litigants in probate, civil, family law and traffic cases will have the option to make audio or video appearances in Los Angeles County courtrooms by using the Court’s new LACourtConnect technology.

Designed to provide a secure, safe and convenient way to attend hearings remotely, the new technology is a key element of the Court’s new ‘Here For You | Safe For You’ plan to restore services and ease the access to justice by adhering to social distancing requirements and dramatically change the traditional in-person courtroom appearance model.

LACourtConnect will be phased–in through the summer months and initially available in Civil Settlements and Probate matters on calendar the week of June 22. Thereafter, LACourtConnect will launch in phases for all Limited Civil, Unlimited Civil and Complex, Family Law, and Traffic courtrooms. Future notices will provide specific implementation dates.

For complete details, go to https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Remote-Courtroom.pdf

California’s courts will reportedly lose hundreds of millions of dollars in funding under a revised, COVID-19-impacted state budget proposal unveiled today by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Responding to the budget cuts―a downward revision of the budget unveiled by the governor last month―California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, said, “The state’s economic outlook is in a vastly different place than it was in January. The projected budget deficit is sobering.”

The judicial branch, she said, “is prepared to work with the Governor and the Legislature as we all try to maintain services for the public we serve. My hope is that the financial burden of a deficit will be shared fairly by all sectors of government. No one wants to turn away those coming to our courts to seek justice.”

Complete details of the budget cuts and their impact on the state’s judicial operations can be found at https://sfvba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Budget-Summary_JudicialBranch-1.pdf

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) will expand its presence in the Los Angeles area with the opening of a new Immigration Court in Van Nuys.

Starting December 9, 2019, the new Court―located at 6230 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 300―will cover Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, and parts of Los Angeles County.

The Court will be in operation 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tel: (818) 904-5200.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is an agency within the Department of Justice tasked with adjudicating immigration cases by fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly interpreting and administering the Nation’s immigration laws.

The EOIR conducts immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings under authority delegated from the U.S. Attorney General.