0250 Judicial Branch
Major Program Changes
  • Trial Court Employee Costs - The Budget includes $16.1 million General Fund for trial court employee benefit costs, of which $7.5 million reflects funding for trial courts that have made progress towards meeting the Public Employees? Pension Reform Act of 2013 standard for employees sharing the cost of pension funding. Recognizing that many of these costs are beyond the control of the trial courts, the Administration will continue to fund future increases related to existing health benefits and retirement costs for trial court employees and retirees.

  • Court Innovations Grant Program - The Budget includes $25 million General Fund for the Judicial Council to develop and administer a competitive grant program to encourage courts to develop new ways of doing business. The competitive grant program will focus on high-priority innovations, modernizations, and efficiencies in the courts; $12 million to be spent on collaborative courts; $8 million on Self-Help, Family and Juvenile courts; and $5 million on other efficiencies across all types of courts.

  • Equal Access - The Budget includes $15.4 million General Fund and $5.5 million Trial Court Trust Fund for the Equal Access program which is a $5 million increase. The Equal Access program provides funding to legal service agencies and programs that offer legal assistance in civil matters to low-income Californians.

  • Language Access - The Budget includes $101.5 General Fund for interpreter services to improve language access for limited English proficient court users to provide court interpreter services in civil proceedings.

  • Trial Court Civil Case Management System (V3) Replacement - The Budget includes $12.4 million General Fund to replace V3 Court Case Management Systems in the Superior Courts in Orange, Sacramento, San Diego, and Ventura counties. This funding will enable these trial courts to establish a digital court foundation by implementing a modern and supportable case management system needed to efficiently deliver services to the public.

  • Peremptory Challenges - The Budget includes a reduction to the number of peremptory challenges in misdemeanor jury trials from 10 to 6, from January 1, 2017, until January 1, 2021. This is expected to result in approximately 5,000 fewer jurors being called to jury service per year statewide. The Judicial Council is also required to report on the effectiveness of the peremptory challenge reduction by January 1, 2020.