Sonoma — Emergency Court Closures

Source: https://sonoma.courts.ca.gov/system/files/closures-9-28-20.pdf

I HONORABLE BRADFORD J. DEMEO PRESIDING JUDGE ) FILED SONOMA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT sEP 2 8 2020 J 600 Administration Drive Santa Rosa, CA 95403 ot ior of Calrfomia, of 4

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7 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 8 COUNTY OF SONOMA 9

l0 IN RE: EMERGENCY COURT CLOSURESll

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t6 The City of Santa Rosa is once again threatened with fire danger. The fast-moving

t7 "Shady" fire has penetrated the Santa Rosa sphere of influence and evacuation orders are in

l8 place for neighborhoods within 5 miles of the Sonoma County courthouses and moving in the

l9 direction of the courthouses. As of the drafting of this order the air quality is deteriorating and

20 steadily declining into unhealthy status according to "Airnow".

2t The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a severe reduction in resources, personnel

22 availability, and is widespread in Sonoma County according to the Governor's current criteria

23 reopening Califomia. The Shady fire layered with the pandemic has crippled the Court's ability

24 to operate including core services.

25 Thus, due to the threat of health, safety and injury to anyone coming to the courthouse,

26 for good cause, and under the authority of Government Code section 68115, the following orders

27 are made:

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I IT IS ORDERED THAT, 2 1 . All Sonoma County Courthouses are closed to the public on Septemb er 29 , 2020, and September 30,2020, and only open for essential proceedings involving in-custody J arraignments to be conducted in Department 9 of the Superior Court.

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5 2. All protective orders that would expire on September 29,2020, or September 30, 2020, are extended to October 23,2020. 6 7 3. Ex parte applications for domestic violence restraining orders will be accepted through the civil clerk's office at the Hall of Justice located at Room 106J, 600 8 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

9 4. Juvenile delinquency detentions in Department24, and juvenile dependency l0 detentions in Department 5, will be heard only by remote technology in their ll respective departments.

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t4 gSr,-U^aa,aoao Dated l5 BRADFORD J. DEMEO PRESIDING JUDGE16 SONOMA COLINTY SUPERIOR COURT t7

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