Extension of Continuity of Operations Plan

The United States District Court for the Central District of California’s Continuity of Operations (“COOP”) Plan has been extended through and including January 29, 2021.  Extension of the COOP Plan is necessary to ensure the continuous performance of essential functions and operations of the Court in light of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic.  Since the Court’s COOP Plan went into effect on December 9, 2020, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and test positivity rates in the Central District have continued to increase.  The ICU availability in the Southern California region, which includes the entire Central District, is currently at 0.0%, and the State’s regional stay-at-home order remains in effect in the Southern California region. 

The following actions taken pursuant to the COOP Plan remain in effect:

Access to the Courthouses

• All Courthouses of the Central District of California will be closed to the public except for hearings on criminal duty matters, as set forth below.
• All federal Pro Se Clinics in the District are closed.

The Los Angeles, Santa Ana and Riverside Clinics are providing remote assistance via telephone and/or email.  Please contact them for more information:
Los Angeles: (213) 385-2977, Ext. 270 or tinyurl.com/fedproseclinic
Santa Ana: (714) 541-1010, Ext. 222
Riverside: (951) 778-9878 or [email protected]

Court Hearings

• No in-person hearings will go forward except for hearings on criminal duty matters, as set forth below.
• In civil cases, all appearances will be by telephone or video conference.
• Criminal bench duty will continue to take place in each division by telephone or video conference with the defendant’s consent and in court absent consent.  All criminal document duty will be handled by each division in the normal course of business.  In other criminal matters, all appearances will be by telephone or video conference.
• For members of the press or public who wish to listen in on a hearing, refer to the assigned judge’s procedures and schedules web page or calendar for login-in or call-in information.  If login-in or call-in information is not available, submit a Hearing Access Request Form at least four hours prior to the hearing.

  Jury Trials

• Jury trials remain suspended.

  Grand Jury Proceedings

• All regularly scheduled grand jury proceedings are suspended and grand jurors will not otherwise be required to report for service or to call in to the United States Attorney’s Office for reporting purposes during the period for which grand jury proceedings are suspended.

  Filing Information

• The intake sections in each courthouse will be closed to the public.  To post a bond or submit an emergency, time-sensitive filing such as a temporary restraining order, call the following telephone numbers:

Los Angeles – (213) 894-8288
Riverside – (951) 328-4450
Santa Ana – (714) 338-3958 or (714) 338-4760

• All criminal duty matters filed by the United States Attorney’s Office and handled by district judges shall be filed electronically.
• All criminal document duty matters handled by a magistrate judge shall be filed electronically.
• For all other intake and records questions, call the following telephone numbers:

Los Angeles Civil Intake – (213) 894-3535
Los Angeles Criminal Intake – (213) 894-8288
Riverside Civil and Criminal Intake – (951) 328-4450
Santa Ana Civil Intake – (714) 338-2886
Santa Ana Criminal Intake – (714) 338-4786

• The court’s CM/ECF system is available 24/7 for electronic filing of documents.
• Unrepresented litigants who cannot electronically file their documents and attorneys who are required to manually file documents pursuant to the local rules must mail their filings to the Clerk of Court at 255 E. Temple Street, Suite TS-134, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3332.
• Non-paper physical exhibits or other exhibits exempted from electronically filing shall be sent via U.S. Mail or other commercial delivery to the Clerk of Court at the above address.

  Mandatory Chambers Copies

• Until further notice, all district judges and magistrate judges do not require mandatory chambers copies during the pandemic.
• Any judge can require chambers copies in a particular case if desired. The chambers copies shall be mailed to the judge via Fed Ex. Chambers copies cannot be hand-delivered to the courthouse.

The Court continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic as it evolves and will provide updates concerning the Court’s operations as adjustments are made.

*********************

Kiry K. Gray
District Court Executive/Clerk of Court
January 6, 2021