San Diego County Superior Court

The Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over San Diego County.

San Diego County Superior Court
Established1850
JurisdictionSan Diego County, California
Location
Appeals toCalifornia Court of Appeal for the Fourth District, Division One
Websitesdcourt.ca.gov
Presiding Judge
CurrentlyHon. Lorna A. Alksne[1]
Assistant Presiding Judge
CurrentlyHon. Michael T. Smyth[1]
Court Executive Officer
CurrentlyMichael Roddy[1]

History
Earlier San Diego courthouses
(Reconstructed) First San Diego Court House (1850–69) and Colorado House in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park (2018)
Second Court House, 1872–92 (c.1874)
Third Court House, 1892–1961 (c.1913)
Fourth Court House, 1962–2018 (2016)

San Diego County was one of the original counties formed when California gained statehood in 1850. The first elected officers of the San Diego Court of Sessions met in October 1850, including presiding judge Hon. John Hayes and associate judges Charles Haraszthy and William H. Moon; the First Court House, approximately at the intersection of San Diego and Mason Streets, was part of what is now Old Town San Diego. County offices were moved to the Whaley House in 1869, and the original Court House was destroyed in the fire of 1872.[2] The 1872 fire originated in the old Court House.[3]

The second county courthouse was completed in 1872 on land donated by Alonzo Horton in "New Town" San Diego.[4] It was replaced by a third county courthouse which was completed in 1892. The 42 clerestory stained glass windows featured the Great Seals of each state in the union at the time of its completion, and were saved after the courthouse was demolished in 1961.[5] The 1892 structure was built at the corner of Front and D (now Broadway) in downtown San Diego after the architects hired to expand the 1872 courthouse (Nelson Comstock and Carl Trotsche) determined the structure could not support the new proposed wings.[4]

Hall of Justice (2016)

The fourth county courthouse was completed in 1961 across the street from where the Hall of Justice now stands.[4] The stained glass windows were saved from the 1892 building, but were not installed into the 1961 Courthouse; instead, the windows were placed in the Hall of Justice, completed in 1996. The 1961 courthouse sat on the active Rose Canyon Fault and required asbestos abatement, prompting its replacement.[6]

The fifth county courthouse was completed in June 2017 at a cost of US$555,500,000 (equivalent to $579,000,000 in 2019). The 2017 building, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, was the largest and most expensive courthouse in the state when it was finished.[6] The courts moved to the new building in 2018.[7] It was one of three examples cited for excessive costs and ornamentation by critics of the Judicial Council of California's construction program, along with the new Family Justice Center (completed in 2016 for Santa Clara County) and a new courthouse for Long Beach.[8]

Venues
San Diego County Superior Court locations:
1
Central Courthouse, 1100 Union St &
     Hall of Justice, 330 W Broadway (San Diego)
2
Kearny Mesa, 8950 Clairemont Mesa Blvd (San Diego)
3
Juvenile Court, 2851 Meadow Lark Dr (San Diego)
4
East County, 250 E Main St (El Cajon)
5
North County, 325 S Melrose Dr (Vista)
6
South County, 500 3rd Ave (Chula Vista)

The main courthouse complex consists of two buildings in downtown San Diego: the Central Courthouse and the adjoining Hall of Justice. The Central Courthouse was completed in 2017 and consolidates criminal, probate, family court, and small claims services.[9] The Hall of Justice was completed in 1996, which handles civil cases.[10]

Small claims were moved from Kearny Mesa to the Central Courthouse; Kearny Mesa continues to handle minor traffic offenses, including juvenile traffic infractions.[11] A separate Juvenile Court in Linda Vista handles cases for minors.[12]

Three satellite courts are used to support communities in East County (El Cajon),[13] North County (Vista),[14] and South County (Chula Vista).[15]

References
  1. "Executive Office". Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  2. Sefton, Donna K. (October 1956). "Justice in Old Town". San Diego Historical Society Quarterly. 2 (4). Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  3. Monteagudo, Merrie (April 21, 2019). "1872 fire devastated Old Town". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  4. "Guide to the Public Records Collection". San Diego Historical Society Quarterly. San Diego History Center. 47 (1). Winter–Spring 2001. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  5. "San Diego County". California Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  6. Bruno, Bianca (June 6, 2017). "Newest, and Priciest Courthouse in California Dedicated". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  7. Bruno, Bianca (February 5, 2018). "Half Billion-Dollar Courthouse Opens in San Diego". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  8. Dinzeo, Maria; Renda, Matthew (July 10, 2017). "Lavish Courthouses Spur Calls for Judicial Council Audit". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  9. "Central Courthouse". Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  10. "Hall of Justice Courthouse". Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  11. "Kearny Mesa Courthouse". Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  12. "Juvenile Courthouse". Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  13. "East County Regional Center". Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  14. "North County Regional Center". Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  15. "South County Regional Center". Superior Court of California, County of San Diego. Retrieved 30 October 2020.

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