By the early nineteen hundreds, there were some eight hundred different trial
courts in California operating without any centralization.
People complained the courts and justice varied too much from location to
location.
So in 1926 voters amended the state constitution to create the
Judicial Council to provide leadership for the branch.
Today the judicial council is well defined as the policy-making body of the
California courts,
the largest court system in the nation.
Chaired by the Chief Justice who is elected statewide by the people of
California, the council is responsible for ensuring the consistent, independent,
impartial and accessible administration of justice
throughout the state. [Chief Justice seated and speaking] “It's like a board of directors for a large
complex
public organization.” [Narrator] the California constitution spells out council
Membership.
twenty voting members.
The chief justice and one other justice of the supreme court,
three justices of courts of appeal, ten superior court judges, and two
non-voting court administrators.
Each is appointed by the chief justice to three-year terms.
One-third turnover each year.
[Chief justice speaking]”This insures continuity for council, it also creates opportunities for new
participation for court leaders
Statewide.” [Narrator] The state bar appoints four members. And the state Senate and the
Assembly each appoint one member.
The chief justice can also appoint additional non-voting advisory members.
The nomination process is on the court's website. Chief Justice Tani Cantil Sakauye
strives for diversity in her appointments. [Chief justice speaking] “Gender, ethnic,
geographic, culture, court size, and legal experience…”
[Narrator] There five internal committees of the Council.
Executive and Planning, Rules and Projects, Policy Coordination and Liaison,
Litigation Management, and Technology. The Administrative Director of the
Courts serves as secretary to the Council,
A non-voting position.
And the Administrative Office of the Court's provide staff support to
implement the council's policies. The full council meets at the call of the
chief justice no fewer than four times a year. There were eight meetings in
2011
and a record twelve in 2012. [Chief justice speaking to council] “I have little doubt that this body,
the judicial council and the judicial branch
is the finest judiciary in the nation, it can rise to the challenge
and we can and will put in place the foundation for a new era in California.”
[Narrator] Meeting agendas are posted on the court's website at least seven days in
advance.
Meeting reports and related materials are linked as soon as they are available.
Minutes of each meeting are also archived here.
Business meetings are open to the public except for when they discussed personnel
issues or litigation, security and other confidential topics.
And starting in 2011, the educational pre-meetings have also been
open to the public. [Council member speaking] “…the more sunshine uh...as Justice (Louis) Brandeis said many
years ago,
um...the better.”
Public comment is invited and encouraged either through correspondence or in
Person.
And the audio for meetings and streamed live on the web.
The constitution states that
council members do not represent any particular constituency notwithstanding
any of their other affiliations or roles.
Rather each member is responsible for ensuring the consistent, independent,
impartial and accessible administration of justice for all Californians
which leads to sometimes spirited conversations. [Council members presenting] “…enough is enough
uh... we've really been pushed to the wall.” “The conditions, they're in my
estimation
deplorable.”
“Many tough and
often untenable choices
have to made and
they have to be made now.” [Narrator] But the vast majority of discussion,
Investigation, and study is done long before initiatives come to the council.
More than four hundred people serve on advisory committees, task forces and
working groups. Judges, justices, lawyers court executive officers and experts in
their respective fields.
Appointed by the chief justice
these groups put in countless hours of study and research to advise the council
on court business, improving judicial administration and assisting the council
in achieving its strategic goals.
[Chief justice explains] “They don't serve
for the individual purpose of their court.
They're picked for those advisory committees
because they're looking at statewide proposals that will best serve the
public and the courts, as well. [Narrator] For example, the Trial Court Presiding
Judges Advisory Committee
and the Court Executives Advisory Committee developed and recommended to
the council a program to help trial courts improved productivity,
increase efficiencies,
and reduce costs. [Council member presenting] “Clearly it can make a difference and reduce the impact of
the resource cuts that we’ve had in the last couple of years.” [Narrator] Another new council
Initiative,
the Liaison Program.
The chief justice named a small team of council members to serve as liaisons to
each of the fifty-eight courts
to open lines of personalized informal communication.
[Council member presents] “We are making sure that each trial court has direct access to the judicial
Council.”
[Chief Justice] “So if something went wrong or they had a Question,
they know a face, a name that they could contact over at the judicial council.”
[Narrator] Council liaisons will also connect with each division in the Administrative
Office of the Courts.
It's an initiative that’s representative of the judicial council’s mission and
priorities for the branch. [Chief justice] “I think we have
many court leaders who care deeply about the future of the courts
and we have much to talk about in the future.”
[Narrator] Including the continuing goals of maintaining access and fairness,
independence and accountability,
and high quality service to the public.