The Judicial Council of California Issues Emergency Court Rules due to the COVID-19
The Judicial Council of California – Judicial Branch Administration Issues Emergency Rules in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Due to the immediate and ongoing impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on California’s judicial branch, and at the request of Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, Chair of the Judicial Council, the chairs of the Judicial Council’s six internal committees recommend that the Judicial Council adopt rules of court to:
- suspend the entry of defaults in unlawful detainer actions;
- suspend judicial foreclosures;
- provide for remote appearance via technology;
- adopt a statewide emergency bail schedule that sets bail at $0 for most misdemeanor and lower-level felony 2 offenses;
- provide for personal appearance through counsel for defendants in pretrial criminal proceedings;
- prioritize for juvenile dependency and juvenile delinquency proceedings various hearing and orders and set a structure for remote hearings and continuances;
- extend the timeframes for specified temporary restraining orders; and
- adopt miscellaneous civil proposals, including suspending the statutes of limitations governing civil actions.
The Judicial Council should take these temporary actions in order to protect the health and safety of the public, court employees, attorneys, litigants, and judicial officers, as well as staff and inmates in detention facilities, and law enforcement during the state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
