The Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin (Court), with this, provides public notice, according to Government Code section 68106, of changes in court operations, in response to the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). These changes will be in effect until further notice.
To reduce the risk to the public, staff, and judicial officers, and to achieve maximum social distancing, entry into the courthouse will be limited to the following:
- Attorneys
- Parties/Defendants
- Minor/Minor’s Parents
- Law Enforcement
- Those filing or picking up restraining orders
- Witnesses
- Couriers
- Jurors
No other persons will be permitted without good cause.
The Court will continue to take reasonable safety precautions to keep the public, court staff, judicial officers and others safe.
Pursuant to the Court Administrative Order of the Presiding Judge, all persons who enter the courthouses will have their temperature taken by a temperature-scanning device. Any person who refuses to have their temperature taken, or has a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, will not be permitted to enter the courthouses. Per Governor Newsom’s mandate, all persons must wear a face covering to enter the courthouse and at all times while inside.
APPEALS: Will be heard telephonically. Documents can be submitted by dropbox or through the mail.
Department 10A Appellate calendars will be heard telephonically.
BRANCH COURTS: Department L1 and L2 at the Lodi Branch Court will reopen on March 1, 2021
Department M1 and M2 at the Manteca Branch Court are open.
CLERKS OFFICES: The Clerk’s office at the Juvenile Justice Center is open 8:00AM to 12:00PM, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Clerks’ Offices in Stockton, Manteca, and Lodi are closed to the public. Clerk’s Offices can be contacted as follows:
- By Telephone: To contact the Court by telephone, please visit the Court’s website for current hours and contact information.
- On-line Support: Questions can be submitted via the Court’s support page.
There are drop boxes outside of the Stockton Courthouse. For the Manteca Branch and the Juvenile Justice Center, a drop box is located within the buildings. Lodi Branch drop boxes will be available as of March 1, 2021, and are located outside of the entrances to Department L1 and L2. eFiling is available for Civil, Family Law, and Probate. Please visit the eFiling Portal for more information.
THE COURTROOMS THAT ARE OPERATIONAL ARE LISTED BELOW.
CIVIL: Civil and Appeals documents to be submitted by dropbox, mail or eFiling; eFiling is encouraged. Courtesy copies must be submitted as outlined in Local Rule 3-117. Exparte hearings can be requested by email except for cases scheduled in Department 3A.
Hearings in dedicated Civil courtrooms continue to be held telephonically. All Requests for Temporary Civil Restraining Orders for Stockton, and Lodi cases submitted via drop window will be heard at the Stockton Courthouse until the Lodi branch reopens.
Departments 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D and 11B – All Hearings are to be held remotely unless otherwise directed by the Judge/Department. Refer to the Civil DIvision page for instructions on remote attendance at hearings and each Judge/Department’s requirements for attendance at Mandatory Settlement Conferences. The Court has resumed Civil Jury Trials.
Departments 3D Small Claims will resume March 1, 2021.
COLLABORATIVE COURTS: Case conferences will continue to be heard telephonically and via
video.
DEPENDENCY: Departments 9C and 9D are open.
CRIMINAL:
Department 3A is open.
Department 3C is open.
Department 5C is open.
Department 6C is open.
Department 6D is open.
Department 7A is open.
Department 7B is open.
Department 7C is open.
Department 7D is open.
Department 8A is open.
Department 8B is open.
Department 8C is open.
Department 8D is open.
Department 9A is open.
Department 9B is open.
Department M1 is open.
Department M2 is open.
Department L1 will open March 1, 2021.
Department L2 will open March 1, 2021.
JURY SERVICES: Our Jury Department has resumed full operations and jurors are now being called in for jury service. The Court is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for jurors reporting for service and the Court is taking the precautionary measures to adhere to public safety and social distancing guidelines. For information regarding jury service including updated information regarding Covid-19 safety guidelines, please visit the Jury Services or call (209) 992-5500 for a Jury Services staff member.
FAMILY LAW:
Family law documents must be submitted by drop box, mail, or eFiling. Questions may be submitted via the Court’s online Support page. Department 4A will hear all matters set on calendar. Hearings will be staggered in the morning to maintain social distancing.
Department 4B will continue to hear all matters set on calendar, including trials. Department 5A will hear child support DCSS matters by telephonic appearance only unless requested in person and proper notice given. Non-DCSS or private calendar matters will be heard over Zoom unless requested in person and proper notice given. Long cause trials and contempt matters will be heard in person unless requested to appear over
Zoom.
Mediations will be conducted telephonically with the parties and their attorneys. The parties and their attorneys must appear in person at the hearing and will be given the telephone number to attend the mediation. The parties must then find a quiet location to call in to participate.
JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER: Juvenile Traffic will resume on March 12, 2021.
Department J1 is open.
Department J2 will open on March 12, 2021.
Department J3 is open.
PROBATE/DEPARTMENT 11A: Probate will be open for the regular morning calendars, but it is encouraged that parties appear by teleconference rather than appear in person. Instructions and notice for the teleconference line can be found on the local form Notice of Teleconferencing Appearance and Requirements (SJPR-EMERG1), located on the Local Forms page. Notice for teleconference appearance must be served with any Notice of Hearing or on its own in all matters.
Settlement conferences and trials are heard in person in the courtroom, teleconferencing is NOT allowed for these matters. In limited circumstances, teleconference appearance may be allowed for settlement conferences with specific court approval at least 72 hours before the settlement conference.
Probate documents to be submitted by dropbox, mail, or eFiling; eFiling is encouraged. Faxed documents are no longer accepted unless specifically directed by the court. Questions and inquiries can be submitted online on the
Probate Inquiries page or by email to sjprobate@sjcourts.org.
MENTAL HEALTH: Continues to be heard remotely.
RECORDS MANAGEMENT: Requests for copies are accepted by mail and through the online request at /online-services/records-request/. Researchers are able to request an appointment to use a public kiosk for research. The general public can request an appointment to complete research. For more information on requesting copies or
appointments visit the Records Management Division page.
TRAFFIC: Traffic payments are accepted online, in person using the drop box located at the Stockton Court entrance, or by mail only. Mandatory court appearances citations are set 120 days out. Walk-in calendars are suspended.
Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) for traffic infraction citations provides a way for you to possibly resolve your traffic case without having to personally appear in Court. ODR is available to you 24 hours a day from your phone, tablet or computer. Please visit the About and FAQ pages for detailed information on the ODR system.
Traffic hearings will resume in Lodi and Stockton, Department 3B, beginning March 1, 2021. The public is encouraged to verify their hearing date, time, and location by visiting https://cms.sjcourts.org/fullcourtweb/start.do. Notices will be mailed to those whose date, time, or location has changed.
Dept. 3D will resume traffic hearings March 8, 2021.
SELF HELP: The Self-Help Center is not open to the public for in-person assistance. Online assistance is available on the Self Help page or telephonic assistance by calling (209) 992-5283. For updates about hours of operation and other available self-help online services, visit the Court’s website.
