The Judicial Council will consider amending the California Rules
of Court to standardize and improve court procedures―and notice
of those procedures―to defendants in infraction cases at its
public meeting on Friday, December 16 in Sacramento.
Additionally, the council will consider
recommendations related to notice and procedures for failures
to appear and failures to pay bail; court-imposed fines, fees,
and assessments; and ability-to-pay determinations for infraction
offenses. The council will also consider revising court
procedures on installment payment plans and sponsoring
legislation to provide judges with greater flexibility in
ordering supervised release in criminal proceedings.
Additional items on the council meeting agenda include:
Legislative Priorities for 2017: The council will consider
recommendations on what its legislative priorities should be
for the upcoming year. Proposed priorities include investment in
the judicial branch, securing critically needed judgeships,
funding courthouse construction, creating efficiencies in court
operations, and pursuing a three-branch solution to improve
California’s fines, fees, penalties, and assessments structure.
Trust Funds Held on Behalf of Trial Courts: The council
will consider a
request for funds to be held on behalf of the Superior Court
of Santa Barbara County so it can address significant
expenditures that cannot be financed within its annual budget.
Courthouse Construction Funding: The council will consider
a
report for the Legislature that details the insolvency of
Senate Bill 1407’s Immediate and Critical Needs Account that pays
for the judicial branch’s courthouse construction program. The
council will also consider a
report for submission to the state Department of Finance of
funding requests for the next phase of these new courthouse
projects should funding become available.
Council Liaison Visits to Local Courts: The council is
scheduled to receive liaison reports on the superior courts in
Modoc, Santa Barbara, and Siskiyou Counties . These reports give
council members information on a court’s operations and
challenges, as well as its solutions to increase efficiency and
effectiveness in how it provides access to justice for the
public.
