Fast Facts

Area Served = 4,261 square miles

Population Served = More than 3.1 million people

Court Facilities = Seven Court Facilities

Judicial Officers = 135 official judge positions, 19 official commissioner positions

JUDGE

A Judge has the authority to decide cases brought before the court. A judge is either elected to the court or appointed by the Governor.



COMMISSIONER

A commissioner is an attorney selected by the judges of the court and given powers to hear and make decisions concerning certain legal matters, including family and juvenile court cases, as well as criminal, traffic, small claims and unlawful detainer cases.



PRO TEM JUDGE (also called a TEMPORARY JUDGE or JUDGE PRO TEMPORE)

A pro tem judge is an attorney volunteer who has been approved by the court to hear and make decisions in certain cases, including small claims, traffic, and certain juvenile matters.  A pro tem judge may also conduct settlement conferences in family and civil cases.

Support Staff = 1,156 Employees (as of 01-01-23)

Support Staff includes: Accounting, Administrative, Budget, Business Office, Courtroom, Reporters, Facilities, Family Court Counselors, Family Law Facilitators, Mediators, Human Resources, Interpreters, Information Technology, Secretaries, Legal Services, Pretrial Services, Public Affairs/Community Outreach, and Substance Abuse Assessors.