The meeting at which the March 2020 CALCRIM revisions were to be approved has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The judicial council released the following statement regarding the cancellation:
In her role as chair of the Judicial Council of California, Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye has cancelled the Judicial Council meeting scheduled for March 24.
“Providing justice has always been understood to be indispensable to government and democracy, and the Governor’s stay-home executive order acknowledges the essential service of the court system,” the Chief Justice said.
“However, all our judicial council members serve as leaders in their local courts—as judicial officers, court executives, or attorneys. I do not want to take them away from their very important court roles. Any pressing business of the Judicial Council can be postponed or accomplished by circulating order via email. Judicial Council members should attend to essential work in their trial and appellate courts.” (See California Rule of Court 10.5)
In addition to cancelling the upcoming meeting, the Chief Justice asked the Judicial Council’s rules committee to review and recommend changes to court rules so the court system can respond quickly and efficiently to ongoing needs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later this week a selected preview of revisions which were to be considered at the meeting will be posted.
