SECTIONS 68115-68118 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 68115-68118

68115. When war, insurrection, pestilence, or other public
calamity, or the danger thereof, or the destruction of or danger to
the building appointed for holding the court, renders it necessary,
or when a large influx of criminal cases resulting from a large
number of arrests within a short period of time threatens the orderly
operation of a superior court location or locations within a county,
the presiding judge may request and the Chairperson of the Judicial
Council may, notwithstanding any other provision of law, by order
authorize the court to do one or more of the following:
(a) Hold sessions anywhere within the county.
(b) Transfer civil cases pending trial in the court to a superior
court in an adjacent county. No transfer may be made pursuant to this
subdivision except with the consent of all parties to the case or
upon a showing by a party that extreme or undue hardship would result
unless the case is transferred for trial. Any civil case so
transferred shall be integrated into the existing caseload of the
court to which it is transferred pursuant to rules to be provided by
the Judicial Council.
(c) Declare that a date or dates on which an emergency condition,
as described in this section, substantially interfered with the
public's ability to file papers in a court facility or facilities be
deemed a holiday for purposes of computing the time for filing papers
with the court under Sections 12 and 12a of the Code of Civil
Procedure. This subdivision shall apply to the fewest days necessary
under the circumstances of the emergency, as determined by the
Chairperson of the Judicial Council.
(d) Declare that a date on which an emergency condition, as
described in this section, prevented the court from conducting
proceedings governed by Section 825 of the Penal Code, or Section
313, 315, 631, 632, 637, or 657 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
be deemed a holiday for purposes of computing time under those
statutes. This subdivision shall apply to the fewest days necessary
under the circumstances of the emergency, as determined by the
Chairperson of the Judicial Council.
(e) Extend the duration of any temporary restraining order that
would otherwise expire because an emergency condition, as described
in this section, prevented the court from conducting proceedings to
determine whether a permanent order should be entered. The extension
shall be for the fewest days necessary under the circumstances of the
emergency, as determined by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council.
(f) Within the affected county during a state of emergency
resulting from a natural or human-made disaster proclaimed by the
President of the United States or by the Governor pursuant to Section
8625 of the Government Code, extend the time period provided in
Section 825 of the Penal Code within which a defendant charged with a
felony offense shall be taken before a magistrate from 48 hours to
not more than seven days, with the number of days to be designated by
the Chairperson of the Judicial Council. This authorization shall be
effective for 30 days unless it is extended by a new request and a
new order.
(g) Extend the time period provided in Section 859b of the Penal
Code for the holding of a preliminary examination from 10 court days
to not more than 15 days.
(h) Extend the time period provided in Section 1382 of the Penal
Code within which the trial must be held by not more than 30 days,
but the trial of a defendant in custody whose time is so extended
shall be given precedence over all other cases.
(i) Within the affected area of a county during a state of
emergency resulting from a natural or human-made disaster proclaimed
by the President of the United States or by the Governor pursuant to
Section 8625 of the Government Code, extend the time period provided
in Sections 313, 315, 632, and 637 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code within which a minor shall be given a detention hearing, with
the number of days to be designated by the Chairperson of the
Judicial Council. The extension of time shall be for the shortest
period of time necessary under the circumstances of the emergency,
but in no event shall the time period within which a detention
hearing must be given be extended to more than seven days. This
authorization shall be effective for 30 days unless it is extended by
a new request and a new order. This subdivision shall apply only
where the minor has been charged with a felony.
(j) Within the affected county during a state of emergency
resulting from a natural or human-made disaster proclaimed by the
President of the United States or by the Governor pursuant to Section
8625 of the Government Code, extend the time period provided in
Sections 334 and 657 of the Welfare and Institutions Code within
which an adjudication on a juvenile court petition shall be held by
not more than 15 days, with the number of days to be designated by
the Chairperson of the Judicial Council. This authorization shall be
effective for 30 days unless it is extended by a new request and a
new order. This subdivision shall apply only where the minor has been
charged with a felony.

68116. Any order of the Chairperson of the Judicial Council
pursuant to this chapter shall take effect immediately upon its
issuance. The Chairperson of the Judicial Council may at any time
revoke or terminate his or her order or any part of the order. The
order of revocation or termination shall not affect the status or
validity of any transfer made prior thereto or of trials in progress,
and the judges presiding in these trials shall continue doing so
until the trials have concluded.

68117. The Chairman of the Judicial Council may pursuant to this
chapter direct the payment of the costs of assigned judges, court
facilities and other costs or expenses required by reason of the
judicial emergency to be paid from funds appropriated to the Judicial
Council for this purpose.

68118. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to
curtail the right of a defendant in a criminal case to a fair and
speedy trial or authorize the trial of such a defendant by jurors
drawn from a jury panel of a court outside the county of trial.