Reports and Resources
Facilities Planning
Judicial Branch (AB 1473) Five-Year Infrastructure Plan
Each year, in accordance with Assembly Bill 1473, Judicial Council staff submits an updated Judicial Branch Five-Year Infrastructure Plan to the state Department of Finance, as part of the process to request funding for courthouse capital projects for the upcoming fiscal year. The plan also includes an annual update to the trial court capital-outlay plan adopted by the Judicial Council, summarizing new construction, addition, and major renovation projects that remain to be funded.
Current Version: Judicial Branch (AB 1473) Five-Year Infrastructure Plan Fiscal Year 2016-2017
September 2015
Design and Construction
Judicial Branch Capital Program Management Manual
Adopted in April 2014
The manual documents uniform policies and procedures to guide strategic management of the branch’s courthouse construction program, helping to ensure uniform and accountable court construction processes. The manual is a significant part of 137 recommendations made in an audit report of the capital program commissioned by the council and prepared by Pegasus Global Holdings.
Review of Judicial Branch Construction Procurement Practices
Senate Bill 78, enacted in 2011, required the Judicial Council to report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on the process, transparency, costs, and timeliness of its procurement practices for each court construction project completed between Jan 1, 2008, and Jan 1, 2013. The legislation also required the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) to compare the costs and schedules of construction projects delivered by the judicial branch to similar projects completed by the Department of General Services.
Judicial Council Report to the Legislature (Dec 2012)
Legislative Analyst's Review (Mar 20, 2013)
AOC Response to LAO Review (Mar 28, 2013)
California Trial Court Facilities Standards
Adopted in 2006, Amended in March 2010
Best practices that are applied to the design and construction of basic components of trial court buildings
Appellate Court Facilities Guidelines
Adopted in 2002
Addresses the specific functional components required in each area of most appellate courthouses in California, including such environmental conditions as accessibility
Reporting Forms: Facilities Deviations
Legislation
Senate Bill 1732: Trial Court Facilities Act of 2002
Full text of SB 1732 (Stats. 2002, ch. 1082), which finalized the imperatives of trial court funding reform as envisioned by the Lockyer-Isenberg Trial Court Funding Act of 1997. Includes amendments through 2012.
Senate Bill 1407
This legislation, passed in September 2009, launched an unprecedented courthouse rebuilding program in California by designating judicial branch revenues to fund up to $5 billion in lease-revenue bonds that will finance 41 new construction and renovation projects.
Policies
Catalog of Courtroom Layouts
Adopted June 2015
Documents 38 possible courtroom layouts with associated holding areas for use in the design of new courthouses that are fully or partially funded by the state. The catalog was developed to help simplify and shorten the design process and reduce costs compared to the cost of built-to-order designs.
Courthouse Naming Policy
Revised April 2014
Outlines guidelines for naming existing and new courthouses.
Facility Modifications Policy
Updated Dec 2014
Describes methodology and process for prioritizing modifications to be made to appellate and trial court facilities for which responsibility or title has been transferred to the state.
Judicial Branch Capital Program Management Manual
Adopted April 2014
Documents uniform policies and procedures to guide strategic management of the branch’s courthouse construction program, helping to ensure uniform and accountable court construction processes.
Prioritization Methodology for Trial Court Capital-Outlay Projects
Updated October 2008
Outlines methodology used to prioritize trial court capital-outlay projects as well as guidelines that Judicial Council staff use in recommending to the council the submission of funding requests for such projects to the executive branch.
Rules and Regulations: Relocation Payments and Assistance Regarding Real Property Acquisition
Adopted December 2010
Provides the framework for implementation of state relocation law in connection with acquisition of sites for court facilities
Seismic Safety Policy for Leased Buildings
Adopted August 2008
Ensures that Judicial Council staff provides adequate seismic life safety to occupants when it seeks to acquire space in buildings owned by others
Site Selection and Acquisition Policy for Judicial Branch Facilities
Updated August 2009
Outlines the process by which Judicial Council staff selects sites for courthouses.
Third-Party Use of Trial Court Facilities
Adopted March 2010
Enables third parties to apply for a license to use trial court facilities for civic, community, educational, cultural, and other events. Trial courts use the corresponding Judicial Council-administered program to manage such facility uses.
Third-Party Use License Application Updated July 2014
Water Conservation Policy
Adopted June 2015
Provides guidelines for water conservation best practices for both Capital Program projects and existing courthouse facilities to reduce water usage at California courthouses.
Research and Reports: Conditions in our Courts
Trial Court Facility Modification Advisory Committee Reports
Five Year Master Plan-Deferred Maintenance Report, Fiscal Year 2016–2017
Prepared at the request of the Department of Finance, this report lists deferred maintenance needs for all active courthouses and court facilities statewide.
Quarterly Reports, Fiscal Year 2015-16
Annual Reports
Older Reports on Conditions in California Courts
Judges and Attorneys on Local Court Facilities
March 2006
Judicial officers and attorneys report on local court conditions in these excerpts from letters to state legislators.
Seismic Assessment Report: Preliminary Findings
January 2004
In November 2003, Judicial Council completed a seismic assessment of court buildings in California. The assessment was mandated by the Trial Court Facilities Act of 2002, the law that specifies the process for the transfer of ownership and management responsibility for approximately 451 of California's court buildings from the counties to the State.
Transfer-Related Resources
Completed Transfer Agreements
Last update: February 2010
Courthouse Construction Funds: Reporting Form and Instructions
Fact Sheet: Transfer of Court Facilities to the State
Overview of the transfers' legislative background and the benefits to Californians that will result from this historic shift in the state's judicial branch.