PHASED OPENING OF FOUR NEW COURTROOMS DESIGNATED FOR NON-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESTRAINING ORDERS BEGINS THIS WEEK
Litigants Can Still Apply for Temporary Restraining Orders at Any Courthouse
This week, the Court began the phased opening of four new courtrooms designated to hear non-domestic violence restraining orders, including civil harassment, elder abuse, gun violence, workplace violence, school violence and transitional housing restraining orders, Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor announced. The new non-domestic violence restraining order designated courtrooms will enable judicial officers to specialize in those matters while allowing other judicial officers assigned to family law more time to prioritize domestic violence restraining orders (DVROs).
The schedule for the phased opening of the new non-domestic violence restraining order courtrooms is as follows:
- Monday, December 5: Department S10 at the Governor George Deukmejian (Long Beach) Courthouse began hearing non-domestic violence restraining order cases from Long Beach, Torrance and Compton.
- Monday, December 12: Department Z at the Van Nuys East Courthouse will open to hear cases from Van Nuys and Chatsworth.
- Early 2023: Two additional courtrooms will open. Courthouse and department numbers will be announced at a later date.
Litigants still can go to existing courthouses that hear family law matters to request a temporary restraining order (TRO). Once a TRO is obtained, a hearing for a permanent restraining order will be scheduled for a particular courthouse and department, depending on where the litigant resides. To find out where a permanent restraining order case will be heard, litigants can use the Court’s online Filing Court Locator tool.
“Litigants seeking DVROs and non-domestic violence restraining orders, many of whom are self-represented and unfamiliar with the court process for seeking and obtaining these orders, will benefit from the expertise and efficiency of dedicated bench officers who will handle these cases,” Presiding Judge Taylor said. “This change also gives judicial officers assigned to family law more time to focus on hearing DVROs while consolidating these other restraining order types in new departments that will specialize in those matters. I extend my sincere gratitude to Supervising Judge of Family Law Amy Pellman for her creative solution to enhance access to justice for litigants while improving judicial economy.”
The opening of the new courtrooms is the second change the Family Law Division has made this year to resolve civil harassment matters. In May, the Court relaunched its Civil Harassment Mediation program in partnership with the Center for Conflict Resolution and the LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. They provide mediation, in-person or online, to help litigants resolve their civil harassment cases at the Chatsworth, Compton, Governor George Deukmejian, Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley, Pasadena, Pomona, Stanley Mosk, Torrance, Van Nuys East, and Whittier courthouses.
“The Court continues to seek innovative and creative ways to serve our communities,” Presiding Judge Taylor said. “These partnerships provide information and assistance to resolve matters fairly while preserving judicial time for the most complex matters that require a judge to hear and resolve.”
The addition of the four non-domestic violence restraining order courtrooms will expand the number of family law courtrooms from 69 to 73.
To learn more about the Court’s Family Law Division, visit here.
You can view the full notice here.
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