Remote Appearances

Remote Appearances are available via BlueJeans or Zoom

Overview

In September 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 241. That legislation, which takes effect January 1, 2022, creates a new statutory framework for remote appearances in all non-criminal matters. In order to comply with the provisions of Senate Bill 241, the Court adopted a number ofnew and amended Local Rules, which set forth the processes for, and parameters under which, remote proceedings will be conducted, and which also address options for appearing in person. Additional information about remote appearances is set forth below, and the Court will periodically update this page as needed.

Availability of Remote Proceedings

All of the Court’s non-criminal departments have the ability to conduct proceedings that are entirely remote, i.e., where no parties are physically present in the courtroom. Some—but not all—departments for each non-criminal case type (e.g., Civil Direct, Probate, Family) also have the ability to conduct “hybrid” proceedings, i.e., proceedings in which one or more parties are remote while one or more parties are present in person in the courtroom. A list of which departments currently have the ability to hold such “hybrid” hearings can be found here.

Required Platforms for Remote Proceedings

The Court will conduct remote proceedings using either BlueJeans or Zoomgov.