COVID-19 Notice (March 21, 2020)

The United States District Court for the Central District of California has activated its Continuity of Operations Plan (“COOP”), effective March 23, 2020 through and including May 1, 2020 necessary to ensure the continuous performance of essential functions and operations of the Court in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

The Court is taking the following actions to limit social interactions in its courthouses:

Access to the Courthouses

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

The Los Angeles and Santa Ana 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

Court Hearings

• In civil cases, no hearings will go forward except for emergency time-sensitive matters, such as requests for temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, as ordered by the assigned judicial officer.  Any hearings on emergency civil matters will proceed telephonically only.
• In criminal cases, criminal duty matters will go forward in the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Los Angeles only.  Telephonic hearings on other criminal matters may proceed as directed by the assigned judicial officer.

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 handled by a district judge shall be filed in the appropriate division.
• All magistrate judge criminal bench duty matters shall be filed in the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Los Angeles.
• 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

Archival records requests are suspended because the Federal Records Center is closed.

• 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 a chambers copy in a particular case if desired.  The chambers copy shall be mailed to the judge via Fed Ex.  Chambers copy cannot be hand-delivered to the courthouse.

Updates and other adjustments will be provided as more information becomes available.

Kiry K. Gray
District Court Executive/Clerk of Court
March 21, 2020