The Superior Court of San Bernardino County will maintain limited operations in one courtroom in Barstow for three days a week beginning May 6, avoiding the entire closure of the courthouse that was previously slated to begin on that date, according to Stephen Nash, the court’s executive officer.
The remainder of the Barstow Courthouse will close as previously announced, with many of the cases there being transferred to the Victorville and San Bernardino courthouses. Nevertheless, traffic, landlord-tenant, small claims and domestic violence cases will continue to be heard in Barstow. Civil, family law and criminal cases will still be transferred to other locations, Nash said, as was previously announced.
Nash, together with San Bernardino County Presiding Judge Marsha Slough moved to close the Chino Courthouse and transfer cases there to Rancho Cucamonga last year following notification that the state was reducing the county court system’s annual funding from $105,194.436 to $89,732.965, effective July 1 of 2014. Slough and Nash further resolved to reduce the court’s employees from 1,028 to 875.
On December 11, 2012, the court announced a second phase of cost reduction measures, including the closure of the Barstow courthouse by May 6, 2013.
On March 15 of this year, the California Judicial Council distributed unused monies from a two percent statewide reserve to courts throughout the state. Of this amount, San Bernardino Superior Court is scheduled to receive approximately $1.2 million. Slough and Nash apportioned that money to maintain the limited Barstow court operations and to also maintain juvenile delinquency court, including delinquency drug court, three days a week, effective May 6.