(see also Facilities, Court; Trial Court Funding; Trial Court Unification)
Court Records Management Sampling Program: Fact Sheet (PDF)
Highlights of the superior court records sampling program (rule 10.855 of the California Rules of Court) adopted by the Judicial Council to ensure the preservation of records in the trial courts.
Exploring the Work of the California Trial Courts: A 20-Year Retrospective (2003)
Report identifying and documenting major factors affecting caseload and workload fluctuations experienced by the trial courts in fiscal years 1980-1981 through 1999-2000.
The Impact of the Three Strikes Law on Superior and Municipal Courts (September 1996, PDF, 240 KB)
Results of the second AOC Research and Planning Unit's survey, covering July through December 1995, to obtain information on the impact of the "three strikes" law on the courts.
Jury System Improvement Project: Fact Sheet (June 2003, PDF, 312 KB)
History and accomplishments of the jury system improvement projects, with brief description of the Task Force on Jury System Improvements.
National Center for State Courts Operational Review: Superior Court of California, County of Marin, Family Law Division (February 2002, PDF, 237 KB)
Results of the year-long collaboration of the Superior Court of Marin County, the AOC, NCSC, and three family law legal experts to conduct an operational review of Marin County's Family Law Division.
Report to the Appellate Process Task Force on the Superior Court Appellate Divisions (May 2001, PDF, 361 KB)
The Ad Hoc Task Force on the Superior Court Appellate Divisions' review of and recommendations for how the jurisdiction, structure, functions, assignments, staffing, and workload might be revised to enhance the efficiency of the appellate division of the superior courts.
Programs for Self-Represented Litigants: Fact Sheet (June 2003, PDF, 318 KB)
Highlights of the Judicial Council's Task Force on Self-Represented Litigants; the Online Self-Help Center and county self-help programs; family law facilitators (Family Code section 10002); the Family Law Information Center pilot project (Family Code section 15010); and other resources, programs, and related funding.
Task Force on Jury System Improvements Final Report (April 2003, PDF, 1,490 KB)
Report on the task force’s activities and proposals to promote and improve California's jury system. Recommendations include boosting jurors’ pay and providing free parking and public transportation and on-site childcare.
Trial Court Facilities Guidelines (July 2002, PDF, 627 KB)
Design guidelines developed by the Task Force on Court Facilities addressing the specific functional components that will be required in each area of most courthouses in California, including such environmental conditions as accessibility.
Trial Court Performance Standards Handbook (undated, PDF, 344 KB)
Intended to provide guidance to courts with limited resources in the design and use of a streamlined structure for performance measurement that is consistent with the Trial Court Performance Standards and standard 30 of the California Judicial System.
Trial Court Presiding Judges/Court Executives Advisory Committees: Fact Sheet (January 2002, PDF, 23 KB)
Mission, duties, and responsibilities, and structure of the Trial Court Presiding Judges Advisory Committee, which monitors and makes recommendations regarding areas of continuing significance to the justice system.
A Visitors' Guide to the California Superior Courts (PDF, 776 KB)
General information brochure explaining what civil and criminal cases are; how they are settled; and the role, jurisdiction, and judges of the superior courts.
