Facilities

California’s courthouses are managed at the state level. The Judicial Council of California serves trial and appellate courts statewide by managing maintenance, renovations, new court construction, and real estate.

Two staff offices under the Judicial Council share responsibility for supporting the court facilities of California's Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, and trial courts:

• The Capital Program office leads strategic planning for capital outlay and funding, and manages new courthouse design and construction.
   
• The Real Estate & Facilities Management office manages court real estate, environmental compliance and sustainability, and facilities maintenance and modifications.

The Judicial Council, the policymaking body of the California courts, and its two advisory groups—the Court Facilities Advisory Committee and the Trial Court Facility Modification Advisory Committee—provide ongoing oversight and governance of both offices.

Judicial Council Spotlights Facilities Needs

California has more than 500 court buildings, many desperately in need of repair or replacement. Like roads, bridges, and pipelines, the state’s court facilities infrastructure has deteriorated since the Great Recession--the funding shortfall rises every year. In August 2015, the council heard reports on deferred maintenance, with more than 2,800 needs awaiting funding, totaling over $2 billion. The council approved funding requests for fiscal year 2016–17 totaling approximately $55 million to chip away at these needs. Meanwhile, the annual update to the branch’s five-year infrastructure plan lists 110 courthouse building projects with no current source of funding.