Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile announced that effective Friday, March 20, 2020, all Traffic and Non-Traffic Infraction court hearings, including trials, arraignments and other Infraction appearances, scheduled between March 17 to April 16, 2020, will be continued for at least 30 days under the emergency order he issued in response to COVID-19-related impacts on Trial Court operations.

“Pursuant to the inherent statutory power I have as the Presiding Judge and the emergency powers granted to me by Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil- Sakauye under Government Code Section 68115, I am ordering a continuance of all Traffic and Non-Traffic matters countywide through April 16,” Presiding Judge Brazile said. “It is imperative that we, the nation’s largest trial court, continue to prioritize time-sensitive and essential functions to serve our most vulnerable as we reorganize and reduce our trial court operations and focus on ways we can slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Any Traffic Infraction matters, and all other Infraction matters heard in our Traffic Infraction courts on the date between March 17 through April 16, 2020, will be continued to a later date. This action is authorized under the General Order Judge Brazile signed March 17 to close all courtrooms except to process cases presenting time-sensitive issues and essential functions.

“We will continue to operate our court and reorganize our responsibilities based upon balancing public health directives and meeting our statutory and constitutional due process requirements,” Judge Brazile said. “I do not make these decisions lightly. In this national public health crisis, we must prioritize emergency services and access to justice for the most vulnerable people in our communities while implementing social distancing measures in our courthouses.”

People who had court hearing dates between March 17 and April 16 for Traffic Infraction and Non-Traffic Infraction hearings, including trials, arraignments and other Infraction appearances, will receive updated Court notices by mail.

More than one million Traffic Infraction matters (971,818 Traffic citations, and 37,283 Non-Traffic citations) are filed annually in the Court, including citations for Vehicle Code and Non-Traffic-related Infractions.

Traffic Infraction matters are heard at the following courthouses: Beverly Hills, Chatsworth, Compton, Downey, El Monte, Glendale, Governor George Deukmejian (Long Beach), Inglewood, Metropolitan, Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Torrance, Van Nuys West, and West Covina.

Many traffic matters can be handled without an in-person court appearance by using the Court’s website at: http://www.lacourt.org/division/traffic/traffic2.aspx.

The Superior Court of Los Angeles County has over 550 judicial officers and more than 4,600 permanent employees serving a diverse population of more than 10 million people. The largest trial court in the nation, the Court has 38 courthouses in 12 judicial districts located throughout the county’s 4,752 square miles.

For the latest updates on Coronavirus/COVID-19-related impacts to Court operations, please consult the Court’s COVID-19 News Center located at the top of our homepage.