With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA County’s courts are struggling to recover after a cyberattack. What to do if you have a court date
The East Los Angeles Courthouse.
(
Kirby Lee
/
Getty Images
)
L.A. County’s courts reopened Tuesday, but some court functions remain limited.
People are being warned to expect delays and appear in person if possible.
Alphonse Provinziano, a senior trial attorney at Provinziano & Associates in Beverly Hills that focuses exclusively on family law, told LAist the issues have been pretty extreme and it’s been a “very challenging” week so far.
“This is affecting people's real lives and their ability to handle very sensitive issues,” he said.
Support for LAist comes from
Going in person?
If you have jury duty this week (July 22 – July 26), you can now register and check the status of your service online through the MyJuryDuty Portal or by calling (213) 972-0970, court officials announced Wednesday evening.
All 36 courthouses are open for business, and if you were scheduled to appear Wednesday, it should proceed as planned.
If you’re planning to appear in person, give yourself plenty of time. Provinziano said one of their firm’s attorneys had to park five blocks away from the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown L.A. and ended up being about a half hour late to a hearing.
The long line to get into the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Thursday, July 25.
(
Courtesy of Provinziano & Associates
)
The line outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown L.A. wraps around the building and onto the sidewalk on Thursday, July 25.
(
Courtesy of Provinziano & Associates
)
“Which they totally understood, because there was a huge backup of people waiting to get into the courthouse, which was only compounded by the fact that you couldn't file things electronically,” he said.
Support for LAist comes from
If you need to be at the courthouse by 8:30 a.m., for example, he recommends getting there at least 45 minutes in advance.
What about remote appearances and electronic filing?
Court officials said remote appearances are available through Webex for juvenile, criminal, mental health, and appellate cases as of Wednesday evening.
Remote appearances are also available for civil cases, including small claims and unlawful detainers. Court officials announced Friday morning that LACourtConnect is now available for family law, probate, and traffic cases.
UPDATE: LACourtConnect (remote appearance system) for Civil is back online. Users should be able to access the system now.
— Superior Court of Los Angeles County (@LASuperiorCourt) July 24, 2024
Electronic filing was working once again for all documents in civil cases as of early Wednesday afternoon. But it's still unavailable for CARE Court, family law, juvenile dependency, or probate cases.
How are people dealing with this?
Overall, Provinziano said these issues have upended how the system has been operating as remote appearances and electronic filing became more common, and efficient, in a post-pandemic world.
Support for LAist comes from
For example, a mother they’ve been working with wasn’t able to come to court in person Tuesday and see what happened with her case because of child care and distance issues.
“They're needing to seek spousal support, child support, attorney's fees, child custody orders, and they've already waited maybe 20 to 60 days to have their hearings from when they filed it, and now they're going to have to wait additional time,” he said. “Anytime you have justice delayed it can feel like justice denied, because you're not getting those orders that you need.”
What’s next?
Provinziano expects the impacts to be felt for at least a couple of weeks, if not months. However, he noted court officials are working to bring services back online “immediately because they know that they need to.”
Court officials say you can find the most up-to-date information through its Temporary Information Center, which has been updated with green, yellow, and red dots to visualize which services are working and which ones aren’t. You can also find updates on the official Instagram and X accounts.
What's working and what's not
Courthouses: The 36 courthouses are open for business 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Court staff will be available to answer questions.
Support for LAist comes from
Remote appearances:
- As of Friday morning, court officials said remote appearances are available for all areas that use LACourtConnect, including the Civil, Family law, Probate, and Traffic departments.
- WebEx, which is used for Criminal, Appellate, Mental Health, and Juvenile departments, is available.
Electronic recording: If a courtroom uses this system for capturing the court record, it should be available for use.
Jury duty: Check your summons! If you have jury duty this week (July 22 – July 26), you can now register and check the status of your service online through the MyJuryDuty Portal or by calling (213) 972-0970, court officials announced Wednesday evening.
Restraining orders: You can file Temporary Restraining Orders in person at any Family Law Clerk’s Office throughout Los Angeles County. However, you will need to submit it in person. Electronically filed Temporary Restraining Orders won’t be accepted, court officials said Thursday.
Electronic filing: Electronic filing was working once again for all documents in civil cases, but it's still unavailable for CARE Court, Family law, Juvenile Dependency, or Probate cases.
Call centers: Available during normal business hours, but some were experiencing connection issues Thursday. See the list ▶
Self-Help centers: Opened Tuesday. These centers help people self-representing in court. Find them here ▶
Court's website: Most pages on www.lacourt.org are available now. Court officials say others should work again "over the next few days as the remainder of the Court’s systems are brought back online."
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist