At its April 6 meeting, the Judicial Council
approved 11
temporary emergency rules, including setting bail statewide
at $0 for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to “safely reduce
jail populations” and staying eviction and foreclosure
proceedings to protect Californians from losing their homes
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was the second emergency council meeting of court and branch
leaders from around the state to consider further measures to
ensure California courts—which remain open as “essential
services” under Gov. Newsom’s stay-home executive order—can meet
stringent health directives while also providing due process and
access to justice.
Among the actions the council approved, to go into effect
immediately:
Suspend the entry of defaults in eviction cases;
Suspend judicial foreclosures;
Allow courts to require judicial proceedings and court
operations be conducted remotely, with the defendant’s consent in
criminal proceedings;
Adopt a statewide emergency bail schedule that sets bail at
$0 for most misdemeanor and lower-level felony offenses;
Allow defendants to appear via counsel or remote technologies
for pretrial criminal hearings;
Prioritize hearings and orders in juvenile justice
proceedings and set a structure for remote hearings and
continuances;
Extend the timeframes for specified temporary restraining
orders;
Extend the statutes of limitations governing civil actions;
and
Allow electronic depositions in civil cases.
The council previously approved a number of temporary measures at
its first
emergency meeting on March 28 to give courts flexibility
to continue to provide essential services to the public while
protecting health and safety during the pandemic.
A complete list of emergency orders taken by the California court
system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found
here.
