Reports and Resources

Judicial Branch (AB 1473) Five-Year Infrastructure Plan
Each year, in accordance with Assembly Bill 1473, the AOC submits an updated Judicial Branch Five-Year Infrastructure Plan to the Department of Finance, as part of the process to request funding for court 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 2013-2014
March 2013

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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
Address the specific functional components required in each area of most appellate courthouses in California, including such environmental conditions as accessibility
Reporting Forms: Facilities Deviations

• Deviations Memo
• Appellate Court Deviations Form
• Trial Court Deviations Form
• Technology Deviations Form

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.

Courthouse Naming Policy
Adopted May 2009
Outlines guidelines for naming existing and new courthouses

Facility Modifications Policy
Updated July 2012
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

Prioritization Methodology for Trial Court Capital-Outlay Projects
Updated October 2008
Methodology used to prioritize trial court capital-outlay projects and guidelines the AOC uses in recommending to the Judicial 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
Provide 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 the AOC 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 the AOC 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 AOC-administered program to manage such facility uses.

Third-Party Use License Application Updated October 2012

Annual Report: Trial Court Facility Modification Working Group, Fiscal Year 2010-11
June 21, 2011
This 734-page report outlines activities of the working group as well as proposed budget allocations for fiscal year 2011-12.

Video: Conditions in California's Courthouses
October 2005
What are the challenges facing California's courthouses today, and how can those conditions be improved?    Transcript

Video: In Their Own Words
October 2005
California's judges and justices discuss the impact of courthouse conditions on safety, access, jury duty, families and public trust and confidence.   Transcript

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
January 2004
In November 2003, the Administrative Office of the Courts completed a seismic assessment of court buildings in California. The assessment was mandated by the Trial Court Facilities Act of 2002 (SB 1732, Escutia), 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. The findings are preliminary since additional information on particular buildings may be forthcoming during the transfer negotiations. Ratings for individual buildings will be periodically added to the report when the building owners and State have concluded the due diligence steps in the real estate transfer process. 

Summary Report of Preliminary Findings (January 2004, 2,498 KB)

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.