On March 16, California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye
issued guidance to California trial courts seeking emergency
orders to adjust or suspend court operations in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Current California law circumscribes the authority of the Chief
Justice during emergencies. Presiding judges of county superior
courts may petition the Chief Justice—as chair of the Judicial
Council—for an emergency order to support their local needs.
ADVISORY: Due to the changing nature of directives
related to COVID-19, meeting information is subject to change.
For the latest California Courts news related to COVID-19,
visitnewsroom.courts.ca.gov/coronavirus-updates.
The Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) has set the
dates for three statewide listening sessions so that members of
the public can give comments on separate but related topics: the
agency’s efforts to improve jail inspections and the biennial
update of the adult regulations governing jail operations.
The Pretrial Reform and Operations Workgroup will host public
comment sessions on the use of pretrial risk assessment tools to
further its mission of reviewing and identifying next steps for
reforms to California’s system of pretrial release and detention.