Today State Supreme Court Chief Justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, issued an Emergency Order enabling the San Mateo County Superior Court to implement extraordinary measures to mitigate the effects of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 pandemic and reduce the potential for public exposure to the virus in its court facilities. Pursuant to that Order, Presiding Judge Jonathan E. Karesh ordered that all trials be suspended for up to 30 days and the time limits on conducting preliminary hearings be continued from 10 court days to 15 court days. In addition, the Presiding Judge ordered the following matters be continued or rescheduled:
  • All Civil and Small Claims matters;
  • All Criminal matters unless the defendant has invoked his Constitutional right to a speedy trial or speedy preliminary hearing;
  •  All Traffic matters;
  • Nearly all Family Law and Probate hearings

With few exceptions, the Court will be closed to the public beginning Tuesday, March 17, 2020, through Tuesday, April 7, 2020, Suspension of trials and all traffic matters will take effect
immediately. All other changes will take effect Wednesday March 18, 2020. Litigants who have misdemeanor arraignments or misdemeanor pre-trial conferences, Family
Law, Probate, Civil, Small Claims, or Traffic hearings scheduled between Monday, March 16, 2020 and April 15, 2020 will be notified by mail of their new court date. The Court’s actions are
in response to the rapidly escalating Novel Coronavirus pandemic, for which the Federal Government, State Government and the County of San Mateo have declared states of emergency.

For further information, please contact Neal Taniguchi, Court Executive Officer at 650-261-5016.

View the full notice here.

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