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S.C. to Resume Holding Oral Arguments in Sacramento

By a MetNews Staff Writer

The California Supreme Court has announced that it will return to hearing oral argument in Sacramento on Feb. 5, a tradition dating back to 1878 that was put on hold for five years beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oral argument resumed in the high court’s San Francisco courtroom, located at 350 McAllister Street, in November 2022, and in the downtown Los Angeles location, in the Ronald Reagan State Office Building, in December 2023.

Last year’s plan to return to the state capital was thwarted by bad weather conditions in the area, including flooding, intense winds, and power outages, prompting the court to continue remote appearances.

Four cases are on the court’s calendar for argument in the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building, located in Sacramento’s Capitol Mall.

Typically, the court divides oral argument between Sacramento, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and plans to resume the practice. The high court will allow counsel to appear in person or remotely, upon request.

During the five-year hiatus, the court made technological upgrades to all three courtrooms in order to better facilitate livestreaming and remote appearances.