In an effort on behalf of court officials to make services more accessible to those living in the northern portion of San Mateo County, a slate of criminal court and family law services became available at the Superior Court’s Northern Branch in South San Francisco Monday, Jan 7.
The uptick of operations at the South San Francisco courthouse at 1050 Mission Road will restore many of the services pulled back during state budget cuts made some seven years ago, explained Court Executive Officer Neal Taniguchi. After the closure of the courthouse’s clerk’s office in 2013, the courthouse has largely been used for preliminary hearings, with most of the San Mateo County Superior Court hearings consolidated at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City, the court’s southern branch.
It wasn’t until the state budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year included more funding for courts that officials could restore criminal court hearings, a clerk’s office to process court documents and a family law office at the South San Francisco courthouse, said Taniguchi.
“We’re restoring services that were cut a number of years ago because of the budget cuts,” he said. “This is our attempt to restore many of the services that the Legislature hadn’t funded for a while.”
The expanded offerings at the courthouse in the northern portion of the county follow the expansion of counter and phone hours at the Redwood City court clerk’s offices, jury office and records division, which began Nov. 5. Previously shortened to end at 2 p.m. most weekdays, hours at the court clerk’s office in the southern branch have been extended so it is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
By offering misdemeanor arraignments, misdemeanor pretrial conferences and motions to suppress evidence at the South San Francisco courthouse, Presiding Judge Jonathan Karesh is hoping the shift to offer more services there will save dozens of residents living in the northern portion of San Mateo County the long trip to Redwood City.
Acknowledging the challenges of taking public transportation from cities like Daly City and South San Francisco to Redwood City, Karesh expected the expanded services to open opportunities for those defending their cases as well as jurors in northern San Mateo County to more easily attend court hearings. Though he noted the shift does not bring the South San Francisco courthouse all the way back up to its level of service before the budget cuts, he said it does allow for one jury trial to be held there as well.
“A lot of these defendants, they used to have to come down to Redwood City … that could take hours potentially,” he said, noting the trip can be even more difficult for those with suspended licenses.
Karesh also looked to the establishment of a satellite family law office to be a boon for residents in northern San Mateo County, noting those hoping to file a restraining order now have a chance to do so in South San Francisco.
Noting many of the larger San Mateo County cities — such as Daly City, South San Francisco and San Mateo — are located in the northern portion of the county, Taniguchi expected more cases originating in those cities to be heard in the northern branch. He noted some cases, such as those in which defendants are in custody, will likely still be heard in the southern branch regardless of their origin since the county jails are located close to the Hall of Justice at 400 County Center.
Both Karesh and Taniguchi expressed hope the uptick in funding for the courts would continue under Gov. Gavin Newsom. Though the San Mateo County Superior Court cut its self-help services back some 50 percent during the budget cuts, Taniguchi said they are back up to 75 percent of where they were before the deficits but are looking to fully restore them with the help of state funds. He added the San Mateo County Superior Court was forced to lay off five of the seven court commissioners during the budget cuts, but has since restored the number of court commissioners to four.
Karesh noted all civil court cases will continue to be heard in Redwood City, and said the traffic court, currently located in the same building as small claims court at 500 County Center in Redwood City, will move to the South San Francisco courthouse in March for some three years as officials make way for a new county office building in downtown Redwood City.
Slated for the block bounded by Hamilton Street, Marshall Street and Middlefield Road, the new county office building will require the relocation of the historic Lathrop House to a lot adjacent to the back of the history museum across the street. Once the building is complete, Karesh said officials expect to move the traffic and small claims courts to new courtrooms in the Hall of Justice.
Karesh noted the shift of the traffic court to South San Francisco in the coming months is not part of the expanded services at the northern branch. But he expected the restoration of services at the South San Francisco courthouse to be an important step in making court services more accessible for San Mateo County residents.
“I think it’s going to be great on all levels,” he said.
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