UPDATED: MARCH 18, 2020

PLACER COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Similar to other government agencies and California Trial Courts, the Superior Court of California, County of Placer (Court) is closely monitoring the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. The Court is in routine communication with Placer County Public Health, other Placer County justice agencies, other California Trial Courts, and the Judicial Council of California. We are working with these and other entities to ensure we have up-to-date information and can best weigh the need to provide access to justice to our community, while also supporting the activities of our public health agencies and the health of the public. 

The Court initiated changes to its operations on March 9 and modified those changes on March 12, 13, 16 and 17. Effective THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020, Placer County Superior Court will further adjust its court operations. The court is reducing operations to focus on those that impact public safety, children, and those in other vulnerable categories. In total:

• The Historic Courthouse in Auburn is closed effective March 17 with a plan to reopen April 13, 2020. The Court is contacting parties who were scheduled to appear at this location during the above timeframe.

• All felony in-custody matters will be heard as set.

• All felony out-of-custody matters where the defendant has not waived time will be heard as set.

• All felony out-of-custody arraignments, preliminary hearings, trial assignment and trial dates will remain as set for defendants whether or not they have waived time.

• All felony in and out-of-custody mental health treatment court hearings will remain as set.

• All felony in and out-of-custody sex offense hearings will remain as set.

• All felony out-of-custody hearings not specifically noted above are postponed four weeks. Defendants are ordered to appear on a date four weeks from their originally scheduled hearing (for example, a hearing set for March 20 will be reset for April 17, a hearing set for April 1 will be reset for April 29). Defendants and sentenced individuals must comply with all existing orders related to their release, probation, parole, post-release community supervision, or mandatory supervision including any criminal protective orders. The court encourages defendants to contact their attorney with questions. The court will provide notice.

• All in-custody misdemeanor, and misdemeanor (non-traffic) arraignments will remain as set and will be heard. All other misdemeanor matters set between March 17 and April 10, 2020 will be postponed eight weeks (approximately 60 days). The court will provide notice.

• For Juvenile Court, the Court asks that children not be transported to the courthouse for dependency proceedings, and that all parties implement social distancing recommendations of 6 feet apart in the hallway and courtroom.  The Court will expand the use of teleconference and some video conferencing for dependency and juvenile justice proceedings.

• Temporary Guardianships, Temporary Conservatorships, Civil Harassment and Elder Abuse Restraining orders, petitions related to firearms, and requests for emergency relief matters will continue as set. All other civil matters currently set between March 17 and April 10, 2020 will be postponed 60 days. The court will provide notice.

• Family Law child custody matters, domestic violence restraining order matters, adoptions, freedom from custody and control, and termination of parental rights will remain as set. All other family law matters, including child support and contempt matters, set between March 18 and April 10, 2020 will be postponed 60 days. The court will provide notice.

• All small claims and unlawful detainer hearings set for March 17 through April 10, 2020 are postponed 60 days. The court will provide notice.

• All civil jury trials currently set between March 16 and April 10, 2020 are postponed.

• All criminal jury trials currently set between Monday, March 16, and Friday, March 20, 2020, have been postponed.  The court will endeavor to minimize the need for jury panels during the current emergency.

• All non-traffic infraction and traffic infraction and misdemeanor hearings and trials (all cases beginning with “41-”) set between March 16 and April 10, 2020, will be postponed to a new hearing date. This does not include hearings related to driving under the influence cases.

• New citation appearance dates in traffic matters are being reviewed to ensure they have been set for hearing no less than 75 days from the date the citation was issued. If the timeline was less than 75 days, the court will set a new date. The Court will provide notice to impacted parties of their new date in these situations.

• While the Clerk’s Office will remain open for filings, at the current time, the court has declared March 17 to April 10, 2020 as court holidays for the purposes of computing time under Code of Civil Procedure section 12 and 12(a).

• Staff at counters will accept and process filings for those items that are continuing to be heard as outlined above. Please place all other filings in the court drop box or mail to the court.

• Self-help center services will only be provided for restraining orders and other matters consistent with the court’s focus on public safety, children, and other vulnerable populations.

• Parties in family law and civil cases are encouraged to appear by telephone for any matters that remain as set, whenever possible.  The Court encourages you to review the list of matters that can be heard remotely, either via telephone or via a video appearance. The Court has expanded the list of hearings eligible for telephone appearance without prior approval. Instructions for how to appear can be found at: http://www.placer.courts.ca.gov/RAS.shtml.

• The Court asks that when entering a courtroom or finding seating in other areas of the courthouse, members of the public keep at least one vacant seat between themselves and the next unfamiliar person.

• The Court further asks that members of the public allow space while waiting in lines, and that they not crowd elevators or other confined spaces. Court visitors may be asked to wait in hallways or outside courtrooms to minimize gathering sizes in closed areas. Please follow the accommodation, health, and safety directions of any Sheriff’s Deputies or other Court Employees offering their assistance.

• If you believe you are sick, or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or any other communicable disease, please contact the Court Clerk’s Office at 916-408-6000 for further information. If you have an attorney, contact your attorney before calling the Court.

Defendants who have posted bail are encouraged to discuss the bail issues with their attorney and the bail bonding company.

The Court will continue to monitor the situation and will update this notice as circumstances warrant.

For more information about COVID-19, please visit Placer County Public Health’s website at: https://www.placer.ca.gov/6367/Novel-Coronavirus-COVID-19 or, the California Department of Public Health at:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx .