San Mateo County judge pauses evictions through Oct. 2

All eviction cases currently set for trial have been taken off the calendar and will be set for trial no sooner than Oct. 12, the order states.

The order was issued in part because of the pandemic and wildfires that continue throughout the Bay Area, including in San Mateo County.

“The danger from the coronavirus is still significant, remains in the population, and recently has been steadily increasing,” the order states. “Therefore, it is a public health priority for residents to maintain housing.

“Moreover, the recent fire in San Mateo County creates a potential health hazard from the smoke if residents are evicted from their homes and are forced to remain outside.”

Limited resources also prompted the order.

“The court will also have limited functional operations, at least through October 2, with access prioritized to proceedings, not including unlawful detainers,” according to the order. “The recent layoffs of more than 20 clerks caused by the state budget crisis requires the court to prioritize proceedings as well.”

There is also a “tremendous” backlog of criminal jury trials that will “take months to clear, leaving no courtrooms available to hear unlawful detainer trials,” the order adds.

The order comes as a statewide eviction moratorium is set to expire at the end of the month, though legislators are working out a plan to extend it.

An order was also issued Monday allowing San Mateo County Superior Court to hold sessions anywhere in the county. That’s to allow jury selection to take place at the San Mateo County Event Center starting Sept. 8, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

For hundreds of years the law has required court proceedings to occur in a courthouse and this order suspends that requirement, Wagstaffe explained.

Wagstaffe praised the order and described it as a good step in attacking the backlog of trials.