The Superior Court of Alameda County (Court) announced today that it has enacted a number of new and amended Local Rules, which will become effective on January 1, 2022.

Pursuant to the promulgation process detailed in rule 10.613 of the California Rules of Court—including the review and consideration of comments received during the 45-day public comment period—the Court has enacted the following:

  • Amendments to Local Rule 1.7 (Photographing, recording, broadcasting, and using electronic devices in court proceedings, courthouses, and other court locations);
  • New Local Rule 1.7.1 (Prohibited activities in and around a courthouse);
  • Amendments to Local Rule 1.8 (Facsimile filing);
  • Amendments to Local Rule 3.27 (Electronic filing and service);
  • New optional form CRM-014-A; and
  • Amendments to the Court’s Civil Fee Schedule.

The above are currently located on the Court’s Pending Rules page and will be moved into the body of the Local Rules in January.

In addition, in response to Governor Newsom’s signing of Senate Bill 241,

which governs remote hearings in civil proceedings, and the January 1, 2022, effective date of the resulting statutory changes, the Court has adopted additional amendments to Local Rule 1.90 and emergency Local Rules 1.8a, 3.29, 5.38, 5.46, and 7.825 consistent with this new legislation. Among other things, Senate Bill 241 adds section 367.75 to the Code of Civil Procedure, which presumptively requires non-evidentiary proceedings in non-criminal cases to be conducted in person but allows the courts to order that evidentiary proceedings and trials be conducted remotely.

Accordingly, starting Monday, January 3, 2022, litigants in civil proceedings

may appear in court in person, but may also request to appear remotely. Parties and litigants who have already been noticed for a remote hearing in 2022 may continue to appear remotely and need not make an additional

request. Please review these required emergency Local Rule amendments and monitor the Court’s dedicated Remote Appearances web page for additional information concerning operational adjustments that may become necessary.

Finally, the Court also announced the new judicial assignments that will take effect on January 3, 2022.

View the official notice here.