Local General Court and Administration Rules of Court

GENERAL RULE 4 TEMPORARY JUDGES

A. COURT-APPOINTED TEMPORARY JUDGES

(1) APPLICATIONS AND TRAINING

The Court appoints qualified attorneys as temporary judges pursuant to the California Rules of Court (CRC). Application forms to volunteer as a temporary judge may be downloaded from the Court's website at www.sccsuperiorcourt.org, or they are available from the Clerk's Office at the Downtown Superior Court. Attorneys applying for appointment as a temporary judge in the Small Claims or Traffic divisions who previously have not served as a temporary judge in that division, must observe two half-day calendars in the division conducted by Judicial Officers, as well as satisfying all other requirements set forth in the CRC. The two half-day calendars in Traffic shall include arraignments and trials.

(2) COMPLAINTS

Forms for lodging complaints about a court-appointed temporary judge may be found on the Court's website at www.sccsuperiorcourt.org, or they are available from the Clerk's Office at any courthouse where temporary judges serve. Complaints about any court-appointed temporary judge should be sent to: Temporary Judge Administrator, Santa Clara Superior Court, 191 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95113.
 

B. TEMPORARY JUDGES REQUESTED BY THE PARTIES

(1) PARTY-REQUESTED TEMPORARY JUDGES

Parties requesting Court approval that an attorney or retired judge be designated as a temporary judge on a pending case shall file the stipulation required by CRC 243.31 in the Clerk's Office where the case is pending.
 

(2) PRIVATELY COMPENSATED TEMPORARY JUDGES

Matters pending before privately compensated temporary judges are not heard at courthouses. A notice pursuant to CRC 243.33 will be posted outside the Clerk's Office of any courthouse where the Court has approved a request for a pending case to be assigned to a privately compensated temporary judge.