A "court-appointed temporary judge" is an attorney who has satisfied the requirements for appointment listed in California Rules of Court 2.812, and has been appointed by the court to serve as a temporary judge in a courtroom.
Parties might encounter a temporary judge if:
- The court has appointed a temporary judge to hear their case on the date they have their court appearance.
- Parties have decided they want to have a temporary judge hear just their case (NOTE: This is a local court program, and it is only available in limited and unlimited jurisdiction civil cases.)
- Requirements
- Application
- Joining the Temporary Judge Panel
- Minimum Requirements
- Training Requirements
- Extra Requirements by Calendar Type
- Resources
- Online Training Courses
Joining Contra Costa's Temporary Judge Panel
Effective January 1, 2007, California Rules of Court, Rule 2.810 established new and more rigorous training and qualification requirements for attorneys wishing to serve as temporary judges.
To qualify, attorneys must have been active members of the California State Bar, in good standing, for at least 10 years before appointment. There cannot be any pending disciplinary actions, and the individual must not have pled guilty or no contest to a felony, or have a felony conviction that has not been reversed. He or she must satisfy all education and training requirements established by the state, as well as any other conditions that the individual court may require. Mandated training elements include a 3-hour in-person course on judicial demeanor (provided by a court) together with an online training course in related judicial demeanor and ethical issues.
Attorneys must also take one or more online training courses provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts, depending on the substantive areas of law they wish to hear.
Depending on case type, there may also be additional training, education, or experience requirements to serve in Contra Costa County.
Minimum Requirements
The presiding judge may not appoint an attorney to serve as a temporary judge unless the attorney has been admitted to practice as a member of the State Bar of California for at least 10 years before the appointment and meets the following conditions:
- Is an active member in good standing of the State Bar and has no disciplinary action pending;
- Has not pled guilty or no contest to a felony, or has not been convicted of a felony that has not been reversed;
- Has satisfied the education and training requirements;
- Has satisfied all other general conditions that the court may establish for appointment of an attorney as a temporary judge in that court; and
- Has satisfied any additional conditions that the court may require for an attorney to be appointed as a temporary judge for a particular assignment or type of case in that court.
Temporary Judges will need to take ALL required trainings and attend a court session on each case type(s) per the location in which they wish to sit.
| Martinez (morning) | Martinez (afternoon) | Pittsburg (morning) | Richmond (afternoon) | Walnut Creek (morning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judicial Demeanor Ethics Probate | Judicial Demeanor Ethics Civil Harassment Small Claims Unlawful Detainer Online Classes | Judicial Demeanor Ethics Small Claims Traffic Unlawful Detainer Online Classes | Judicial Demeanor Ethics Small Claims Traffic Unlawful Detainer Online Classes | Judicial Demeanor Ethics Traffic Only Online Classes |
Training Requirements
- Review the online Fairness, Demeanor, and Self-Represented litigants materials
- Attend a 3-hour in-person training session on judicial demeanor
- Take the online course on judicial ethics
- Take local and online classes as required for the case type(s)
- Attend a court session on each case type for the location above
| Training Schedule | ||
|---|---|---|
| Class | Date | Time |
| Judicial Demeanor* | Thursday, January 9th, 2020 | 5:30 - 8:45 PM |
| Unlawful Detainer* | Thursday, January 16th, 2020 | 5:30 - 8:45 PM |
| Small Claims* | Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 | 5:30 - 8:45 PM |
| Civil Harassment* | Thursday, January 30th, 2020 | 5:30 - 8:45 PM |
| Traffic* | Thursday, February 6th, 2020 | 5:30 - 8:45 PM |
| * 3 MCLE Credits | ||
| To sign-up for any of the local training classes, please email the Temporary Judge Program at: tempjudge@contracosta.courts.ca.gov | ||
Application
Please complete the application for the Temporary Judge Program.
Extra Requirements by Calendar Type
Small Claims Calendars
- Take all relevant online training courses and review online benchguides
- Attend the local in-person class on hearing small claims calendars
Traffic Calendars
- Take online training course and review online benchguides
- Attend the local in-person class on hearing traffic calendars
Unlawful Detainer Calendars
- Take online training course and review online benchguides
- Attend the local in-person class on hearing unlawful detainer calendars
Probate Calendars
- Attend the local in-person class on hearing probate calendars
Civil Harassment Calendars
- Attend the local in-person class on hearing civil harassment calendars
On-Line Training Can Be Found Here
Resources
Resources for Temporary Judges- external link
The following rules of the California Rules of Court- external link apply to Temporary Judges:
- Rule 2.810 Temporary judges appointed by the trial courts- external link
- Rule 2.811 Court appointment of temporary judges- external link
- Rule 2.812 Requirements for court appointment of an attorney to serve as a temporary judge- external link
- Rule 2.813 Contents of training programs- external link
- Rule 2.814 Appointment of temporary judge- external link
- Rule 2.815 Continuing education- external link
- Rule 2.816 Stipulation to court-appointed temporary judge- external link
- Rule 2.817 Disclosure to the parties- external link
- Rule 2.818 Disqualifications and limitations- external link
Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 1-710- external link.
The following sections of the Canons of Judicial Ethics relating to fairness are applicable to Temporary Judges: Canons 2A, 2C, 3B(5), 3B(6), 3B(8), 3C(1), 3C(2), 3C(4), 3E, 5B, and 6D(3)(a).
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