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Judges and court leaders tell Assembly remote hearings broaden access; lawmakers weigh extension

California State Assembly · March 16, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Judicial Council data shows millions of remote proceedings and widespread user satisfaction; presiding judges and members described remote access as lifeline for rural residents, juveniles, and ill or incarcerated parties while members discussed whether to make remote authority permanent.

Judicial Council officials and local bench leaders told the Assembly subcommittee that remote court proceedings, adopted during the pandemic, have become a daily part of California's court operations and materially improved access to justice for many Californians. Jessica Devonsenzi, policy and research director for the Judicial Council, said courts have held more than 6 million remote proceedings since March 2022 and recorded roughly 1.75 million remote hearings in…

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