Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse closed, other LA courthouses remain open during wildfires

• In an update issued Wednesday afternoon, the Los Angeles County Superior Court advised that the Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse would be closed for the remainder of the day due to its proximity to the Hurst fire.
• Other Los Angeles County Superior Court locations remained operational Wednesday despite nearby wildfire evacuations, though court officials continue to monitor the situation hourly and may announce closures through their social media channels.
• While courthouses are open, many defendants failed to appear for hearings in Pasadena, and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department indicated it would not transport inmates from the North County Correctional Facility due to the emergency.
• Individual judges have discretion over continuances and jury trials, with court leadership acknowledging that evacuations throughout the night have affected judicial officers, staff, jurors, and court users across the county.

Most Los Angeles County Superior Court locations remained open Wednesday despite evacuation orders in nearby locations due to wildfire emergencies, with the exception of the Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse, closed due to its proximity to the Hurst Fire.

Courthouses that remained open included the Pasadena and Santa Monica courthouses, close to the Eaton and Palisades wildfires.

Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman Rob Oftring confirmed via text message that all courthouses were open Wednesday morning but said that may change during the day. He advised concerned parties to check the court's X account for updates.

"Check our Twitter for the latest," Oftring wrote. "At this time all courthouses are open but it is a fluid situation and we continue to assess hour by hour. Any impending updates on specific courthouses will be communicated on Twitter and via public notice."

Oftring wrote that "continuances are at the discretion of each judicial officer."

The view from the Glendale foothills Wednesday. Photo: Laurinda Keys

Deputy Miesha Mcclendon, from Pasadena Courthouse's Department M, confirmed that the court was operating as usual when contacted via phone by the Daily Journal Wednesday morning.

Another court official advised that "the senior leadership team has had two meetings" regarding the wildfires on Wednesday morning.

"The basic status of key operations was discussed. Judges are sensitive to the ability of litigants and counsel to participate in hearings when there is an emergency that could affect access," the official said during a telephone interview Wednesday morning.

Attorneys contacted by the Daily Journal indicated that many defendants had not shown up for hearings in Pasadena Wednesday morning. They also advised that the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department had indicated it would not be transporting any inmates from the North County Correctional Facility for hearings. The Daily Journal has contacted the sheriff's department for confirmation.

An email to criminal judicial officers, shared with the Daily Journal, said the court had been informed by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department that the transportation of defendants in custody would be impacted.

"With respect to jury trials - both planning and ongoing - each judicial officer should decide whether to seek a continuance for your trial/jury selection or proceed as scheduled," the email said. "If you need to cancel any panels for today or tomorrow, please inform administration as soon as possible. Be aware that we do not have 100% accuracy in our ability to communicate with summoned jurors."

Another email to judicial officers said that "currently, none of our courthouses are located in mandatory evacuation zones. However, we understand that many judicial officers, staff, jurors, and court users were evacuated throughout the night."

"Due to the importance of maintaining access to justice for the residents of Los Angeles County, our courthouses will remain open today for business, January 8. Nevertheless, we are actively monitoring the situation and working on contingency plans should closing one or more courthouses become necessary. Judicial officers and staff, whether directly impacted by the fires or not, should stay in contact with their supervising judge."

It added that, "If you have cases that are constitutionally or statutorily required to proceed, jail closures and transportation issues may impact your case. Please communicate with your supervising judge for guidance."

Responding to questions about what attorneys whose business has been affected by the fires should do, a California State Bar spokesperson advised: "The State Bar does not maintain any official guidance regarding natural disasters; however, attorneys with questions about their ethical obligations, including communication obligations, file damage and destruction, and contacting fire victims, are encouraged to contact the State Bar Ethics Hotline for research assistance for those questions by calling 800-238-4427 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or completing a callback request form for a return call during State Bar business hours."

The spokesperson advised that attorneys who wish to offer assistance to those affected by the fires can do so via the newly-launched California Pro Bono Portal.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available

Antoine Abou-Diwan and Jack Needham contributed to this story. Affected by the wildfires? Get in contact via jack_needham@dailyjournal.com