Courts open, but appearances complicated by 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, but wildfire conditions throughout the county complicated efforts for attorneys who had scheduled hearings.

Attorneys with Campbell & Farahani LLP had three hearings Wednesday.

Frances M. Campbell said she drove from Encino to downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday and spent the night at a hotel across the street from the 2nd District Court of Appeal building ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Wednesday.

"I was concerned that the fire might jump, or the roads might close," she said. "It's hard to prepare for oral arguments when all this is happening."

Presiding Justice Brian M. Hoffstadt and Justice Dorothy C. Kim appeared in person. Justice Lamar W. Baker appeared via telephone, she said.

Campbell's associates had remote appearances, and they had to drive from their homes to places that had cellular reception. They made their appearances from their cars, she said.

All Los Angeles County Superior Court locations remained open as of 9 a.m. Wednesday despite evacuation orders in nearby locations due to wildfire emergencies. That included the Pasadena and Santa Monica courthouses, close to the Eaton and Palisades wildfires.

Los Angeles County Superior Court officials said they were monitoring the situation hourly and would announce closures through their social media channels. An update issued around lunchtime said that the Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse would be closed for the remainder of the day due to its proximity to the Hurst fire.

More than 11,000 acres in Pacific Palisades had been burned as of noon Wednesday with no containment, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. There were several reported injuries to both civilians and firefighters. More than 1,000 structures are estimated to have been affected based on the footprint of the burn area. Parking restrictions will remain in effect until Friday so that firefighters have room to maneuver in the event of a fast-moving fire, and residents can evacuate if necessary.

In Altadena and Pasadena, affected by the Eaton fire, more than 10,000 acres had been burned, and two residents had been confirmed dead.

The Hurst fire in Sylmar consumed over 500 acres by 8 a.m. Wednesday. No injuries were reported.

Many defendants failed to appear for hearings in Pasadena, according to attorneys, and the Los Angeles County 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, and court leadership acknowledged in an internal email sent Wednesday morning that evacuations throughout Tuesday night had affected judicial officers, staff, jurors, and court users across the county.

Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman Rob Oftring advised concerned parties to continue to check the court's X account for updates on court openings.

"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" that morning regarding the wildfires.

"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.

An email to criminal judicial officers, shared with the Daily Journal, indicated that the court may have issues contacting jurors and that continuances were a possibility.

"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 that while courthouses would remain open, contingency plans were being drawn up.

"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 help those affected by the fires can do so via the newly launched California Pro Bono Portal.

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