San Bernardino Superior Court issues amended order continuing all non-emergency matters due to COVID-19 pandemic

Click here to view the original San Bernardino Court news release dated April1, 2020.

SAN BERNARDINO− As authorized by the Emergency Order granted by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye on April 1, and for the health and safety of all users of the Court, effective April 3, 2020 through April 30, 2020, the following matters will be rescheduled:

• All Civil and Criminal Jury Trials
• All Civil and Probate Matters except for same day emergency harassment orders, elder or adult dependent abuse orders, emergency guardianship/conservatorship petitions, and LPS matters
• All Small Claims Motions, Trials and Appeals
• All Criminal and Traffic Matters except for in-custody matters, including, but not limited to, arraignments and time critical prepreliminary and preliminary hearings
• All Family Law Hearings except for same day emergency restraining orders and other emergency requests for orders
• All Juvenile Delinquency and Dependency Hearings except for detention hearings, emergency orders related to health and safety and emergency restraining orders
• All Adoption Proceedings

The Court will continue to hear emergency matters as identified in the Implementation Order. On a daily basis, the court is evaluating any changes that may be necessary as a result of the health mandates related to COVID-19. This includes the current anticipated closure end date of April 30, 2020 and reduced hours of operations (8:30 a.m. to noon), with the goal of addressing the highest priority court services while minimizing in-court appearances.

The Court is evaluating our ability to make use of remote telephonic and video proceedings where current technology allows. We encourage you to call the courtroom to inquire and make use of remote appearances whenever possible.

For full details of the Implementation Order, please click here.

A new hearing date will be selected based on the court’s future calendar availability. DO NOT APPEAR unless you have an emergency matter scheduled for hearing. The Clerk’s Office will provide notice to attorneys and parties regarding the continuance of each matter when the Court reopens.

All payment due dates that fall between March 17, 2020 and April 30, 2020 for fines and fees have been extended.

For the purposes of computing time for court related deadlines, the closure will be considered a court holiday. Drop box filings will not be filed or processed until the Court reopens.

This is an unprecedented time for the Court and we very much appreciate your patience as we assess our caseload and prepare to reopen when the Emergency Order is lifted.

For the latest updates on the COVID-19 related impacts to Court operations, please access the News and Media page located at https://www.sb-court.org/news-and-media or the banner located at the top of our homepage (www.sb-court.org) and follow us on Twitter (@sanberncourt).

For frequently asked questions (FAQs), please see the following:

GENERAL INFORMATION

Q: What matters are being heard by the Judicial Officer?
A: Only emergency hearings will be heard by the Judicial Officer. These include same day protective and emergency ex parte requests as specified in the Implementation Order. All other hearings have been continued to a later date and time and a notice will be sent out. You do not need to take any action at this time.

Q: Should I call the Court to get more information?
A: No, at this time staff are not able to take your phone calls.

Q: I am a vendor with the Court. Should I continue performing services?
A: Many services have been suspended due to the court closure. The Court will communicate with vendors and service providers on an ad-hoc basis; please contact Court Purchasing if you have further questions.

LITIGANTS/ATTORNEYS

Q: If my matter is continued, will my temporary restraining order remain in effect?
A: Yes, your temporary restraining order will remain in effect until the continued hearing date.

Q: What can I file with the clerk?
A: You can file documents seeking emergency orders only, such as a request for a restraining order. The Court will not take non-emergency filings during the closure. See the list of exceptions on page 1.

Q: I was subpoenaed to appear as a witness from the District Attorney’s office, what do I do now?
A: Contact the District Attorney’s office for further information.

Q: What should I do if I have an active warrant?
A: You may contact the Sheriff’s Department to surrender yourself.

Q: What if my address has changed, how will I receive notice of my next hearing date?
A: You may contact the court and provide updated address information when the court resumes business on April 30, 2020.

Q: I am released on bail bond, what should I do?
A: You may contact the bail bond company and inform them the court is closed.

Q: What if my deadline to file is during the court closure period of March 17 through April 30, 2020?
A: For purposes of computing time, this closure period will be treated like a court holiday.

PROSPECTIVE/CURRENT JURORS

Q: How will I know when to come back for jury duty if I was here today?
A: Jurors will receive a new summons in the mail with a new date to appear.

Q: What if I am scheduled for jury service during this closure. What do I do?
A: All jurors scheduled for jury service from March 17 to April 30, 2020 are called off for service. Do not report. You may be summoned at a later date.

Q: I sent in a request to be excused as a juror. What do I do now?
A: All requests will be processed upon the court’s reopening. If it is denied for some reason and the date has past, a new date will be issued.

Q: What if I need to postpone my jury service?
A: You may postpone your jury service by visiting our website at www.sb-court.org and visiting the juror portal page. Follow the instructions or you may use our automated phone system by calling (909) 884-1858 or 1-866-402-5879.

With offices statewide, Direct Legal Support, Inc. remains open to assist you with your legal support needs including e-filing and service of process in California. All of our San Bernardino process servers are bonded and registered.

Direct Legal Support, Inc.
Registered & Bonded California Process Servers
Established 1961
Call: (800) 675-5376
Email: support@directlegal.com
Visit: www.directlegal.com