Judicial emergencies.

Existing law authorizes a presiding judge of a superior court to request that the Chairperson of the Judicial Council order the court to take certain actions when war, an act of terrorism, public unrest or calamity, epidemic, natural disaster, or other substantial risk to the health and welfare of court personnel or the public, or the danger thereof, threatens the orderly operation of the courts or makes court facilities unsafe, including, but not limited to, holding court sessions anywhere within the county, transferring civil cases to another county, or extending the time periods for bringing an action to trial, as specified. This bill would additionally allow the Chairperson of the Judicial Council to issue an order of their own accord authorizing multiple courts to implement some or all of that relief if the chairperson determines that emergency conditions threaten the orderly operation of superior court locations in more than one county, or render presence in, or access to, affected facilities unsafe. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.