California Courts
California's judicial branch comprises all state courts and federal appellate courts responsible for adjudicating cases and administering justice within the state's limits. Under the oversight of the federal judiciary, these courts operate independent of the executive and legislative branches of the state to ensure fairness and equity in the state's operations. To ensure transparency, California court records are generated by the administrative office of each court to provide an official account of judicial proceedings. These records are made available to interested and eligible members of the public as required by federal law and the California Public Records Act.
The California court structure comprises three levels, with the Supreme Court at the apex, having the highest level of authority, and acting as the statewide appellate court in California. The three court levels in California include the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Superior/Trial Court. Other types of courts in California are Collaborative Justice Courts, and Tribal Courts.
Typically, most civil and criminal cases and other related cases originate at the Superior Court level, although some cases may be transferred to the intermediate appellate courts, the Court of Appeals for review. Cases from the Court of Appeals may also be moved to the ultimate appellate court in the state, the Supreme Court. The Collaborative Justice Courts serve as problem-solving courts in the state. Examples are Community Courts, DUI Courts, and Drug Courts. Finally, California Tribal Courts offer legal services and technical support to local courts on inter-jurisdictional matters over all case types. The courts help to develop programs, policies, and positions that guarantee excellent justice and service quality to the Native American communities in California.
California has one Supreme Court with one chief justice and seven supreme court justices appointed, six Courts of Appeal with 106 justices appointed, and 58 Superior Courts (one for each of the state’s 58 counties) with 1754 judges in total and hundreds of authorized commissioners and referees. Appeals from the state supreme court can only be heard by federal courts of equal authority within or outside the state's judicial district.
What is the California Supreme Court?
The California Supreme Court is the highest court in the state, which implies that its decisions are binding on all other California courts. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in the proceedings of Mandamus, Certiorari, Prohibition, and Habeas Corpus. The Supreme Court is authorized to review decisions of the state’s Courts of Appeal and state statutes. The Court may also decide vital legal questions and ensure uniformity in the law. Regular sessions of the Supreme Court are conducted in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, although the court sometimes holds special sessions elsewhere.
California Courts of Appeals
The Court of Appeals in California is the intermediate appellate court in the state in terms of judicial authority; it is below the Supreme Court. Most of the cases heard by the Courts of Appeals in California originate from the Superior Courts and involve reviewing decisions made in those courts. The California legislature divides the state geographically into six appellate districts, each having a Court of Appeals. However, the First, Second, and Fourth Appellate Districts of the Courts of Appeals have multiple divisions. There are 19 divisions for all six districts in the state. The Supreme Court is also deemed a court of appeal since it will hear appeals from lower courts.
California Superior Courts
Also referred to as California trial courts of general jurisdiction, Superior Courts in California have jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. These cases are presided over by judges, with and without juries, who apply the law to the facts presented by witnesses' evidence. Superior Court rulings may be appealed to the appellate courts in the state. A Superior Court is represented in each of the state’s 58 counties. Most Superior Courts have departments dedicated to handling probate, juvenile, family, small claims, mental health, and traffic cases. These Courts also have specialty departments that are specialized in handling non-violent drug offenses and domestic violence cases. Superior Courts also hear matters where parties request special relief, such as an injunction or a declaratory order.
What are California Appeals and Court Limits?
An appeal involves applying to a higher court to review a decision or judgment made at a lower court. California has two Appellate courts, which include the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. Filing a Notice of Appeal is what begins the entire appeals process. The essence is to notify the Superior Court, the Court of Appeal, and the opposing parties involved with the case of an appellant’s intentions to have the Court of Appeals review the Superior Court’s trial for errors of law.
The time limit for filing a Notice of Appeal for limited civil cases is within 30 days after a trial court clerk delivers the appellant a copy of the judgment stamped "Filed," or a notice that the judgment has been entered in their case. Appeals for civil cases can also be filed within 90 days after the entry of the judgment. For unlimited civil cases, a Notice of Appeal must be filed within 60 days after either the trial court clerk delivers the appellant a notice that the judgment has been entered in their case or with a copy of the judgment stamped "Filed," or 180 days following the entry of the judgment.
Note that no one other than a party to the trial court case and their legally appointed representative (such as a guardian or conservator) can appeal the court’s ruling. This means that a person can not appeal on behalf of a spouse, a friend, a child, or another relative. Also, before appealing, confirm that the case is qualified for appeal.
In some cases, the appellant may choose to abandon or settle the case after filing the Notice of Appeal; in this case, the appellant must fill appropriate forms and duly notify the court. If the appellant choses to continue the case, the following steps must be followed:
- Designation of the Record - This involves informing the Superior Court of the documents and oral proceedings, if any, to include in the record that will be sent to the appellate court.
- Completion of the Civil Case Information Sheet - Here, the appellants must complete a questionnaire about the case called a Civil Case Information Statement within 15 days from when the superior court clerk mails the notification of the filing of the appellant’s Notice of Appeal.
- Preparation of the appellant’s brief - This is due within 30 days from the filing of the record on appeal in the appellate division (for limited civil cases). The Superior Court clerk will then send the appellant the deadlines for serving and filing your brief. For unlimited civil cases, the appellant's opening brief is due 40 days following the time the Court of Appeals notifies the appellant that the clerk's and reporter's transcripts (or other forms of the record that the appellant is using) have been filed in the Court of Appeal. For appellants that prepare their appendix and do not request a reporter's transcript, they have a time limit of 70 days from the date the appellant filed the election to use an appendix in the superior court opening brief.
- Oral Argument - Here is a chance for the appellant to further explain the arguments stated in their brief to the appellate court.
- The Court’s Decision
How Do I Find My Case Number in California?
A case number is a unique number assigned to individual court cases. It is also used to determine the year the case was filed, the judicial officer to whom it is assigned, and the office where it was filed. To find a case number in California, interested persons can search by the defendant’s name and also fill out the other optional information, including filing date and date of birth, to narrow down the search. A search by name will require the last, full name, or company name of a party to the case. This search can be carried out by clicking on the “online services” portal to find the “search for case number by name” on the local court’s website where the case was heard. The Find Your Court search portal on the California courts website provides access to all the state courts’ websites and contact information.
A nominal fee is usually charged per search, and this fee varies from county to county. For instance, in Los Angeles, the fee is $4.75 per search for guest users, while registered users pay a minimum of $1 per search fee for the first 10 searches and a maximum of $4.75 per search fee for additional searches up to 99. The fee per search fee slightly reduces for search number 99 and above.
Generally, searching for a court record with its case number makes it easier to access the case information and allows for a more specific search result, saving time and money.
Does California Hold Remote Trials?
Yes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, California Courts now hold remote trials to ensure social distancing and curtail the spread of the virus. With the exception of jury selection, filing of papers relating to appeals and unlawful detainer cases, the conduct of some trials, and other specific cases, all courthouses are now partially closed. Trial hearings will be conducted remotely using the telephone or videoconference.
The parties involved in a case or their counsel will be notified of their case hearing the week before the anticipated hearing date. Civil jury trials are presently tentatively on hold. The Court will provide the parties and counsel conducting remote court trials with additional information on the case hearing procedure.
All hearings will be via remote technology involving electronic audiovisual communication between the defendant, any witnesses, and the Court; no in-person hearings will be held at the Court. The Court where a case hearing is to be held will determine the manner of remote hearing.
