The order comes a day before a special meeting of the state Judicial Council, which is the policy making arm of the courts and which Cantil-Sakauye heads.

The law currently requires all depositions to be done in person.Ĭantil-Sakauye in a statement welcomed Newsom’s action, saying “this unprecedented order reflects a very deep concern to not only protect the myriad health and safety needs of California but also to ensure that justice still be available to those most in need.” Newsom’s order allows for technical changes to longstanding court procedures, like allowing depositions to be taken over the phone or some other means. Earlier Cantil-Sakauye suspended all civil and criminal jury trials for 60 days, and extended out other legal deadlines. That hodgepodge of rules had led to growing pressure and complaints from lawyers, court staff and others over the past week who said the differing rules lead to unequal justice and most importantly are exposing those who work in the court to the risk of contracting the virus.Īll trial courts around the state have substantially pared operations to only essential business, and are closed to the general public. Under current law, each court had to first formally ask Cantil-Sakauye to order the changes, a process that led to widely different rules from court to court. That has proven to be a problem since the outbreak, as courts around the state have enacted differing closure and operations schedules.

The chief justice also acts as the head of the court system, though her powers are limited over the operations of individual courts.

The unprecedented order from Newsom hands the chief justice sweeping powers to “take any action she deems necessary to maintain the safe and orderly operation” at any of the state’s 58 trial courts and six appellate courts. Gavin Newsom gave state Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye new and expansive powers to order changes to procedures in the nation’s largest trial court system in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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