The San Diego Superior Court is now seeking dedicated residents with sound judgment from throughout the county to serve on the 2023/2024 San Diego County Grand Jury. The Grand Jury investigates citizen complaints and performs its traditional function as a “watchdog” over government agencies. It does not conduct criminal investigations.

The Honorable Jeffrey S. Bostwick recently completed his last day on the San Diego Superior Court bench and will officially retire in the coming months. His San Diego Superior Court career crosses more than 25 years between his service beginning as a commissioner in 1997 and his first election to a Superior Court judge seat in 2002.

In observance of the Veterans Day statewide holiday, the San Diego Superior Court will close all courtrooms and business offices on Friday, November 11, 2022.

The public is urged to visit the Court’s website at sdcourt.ca.gov to handle traffic tickets or obtain court information. 

In observance of the California Native American Day statewide holiday, the San Diego Superior Court will close all courtrooms and business offices on Friday, September 23, 2022.

The public is urged to visit the Court’s website at sdcourt.ca.gov to handle traffic tickets or obtain court information. 

In observance of the Labor Day statewide holiday, the San Diego Superior Court will close all courtrooms and business offices on Monday, September 5, 2022.

The public is urged to visit the Court’s website at sdcourt.ca.gov to handle traffic tickets or obtain court information. 

The San Diego Superior Court’s Odyssey case management system will not be available beginning on Friday, Aug. 19 at 6:00 p.m. through Sunday, Aug. 21 at 5:00 p.m. to allow for Small Claims cases to be converted to the Odyssey case management system.

The following online services are affected:

The San Diego Superior Court's Family Register of Actions and Traffic Payment Portal will not be available due to maintenance on Friday, August 5 from 6-9 p.m.

Ed Lopatin was selected to serve as the foreperson of the 2022-2023 San Diego County Grand Jury, which started service on July 1, 2022.

Lopatin draws from his background as an audit manager and finance director with the City and County of San Francisco as he assumes this role with the Grand Jury. Lopatin is the author of three books and is an actor performing in San Diego community theaters.

With Assembly Bill (AB) 199 enacted into law and effective July 1, 2022, the San Diego Superior Court has reduced civil assessment fees added to criminal and traffic cases and removed outstanding civil assessments imposed prior to July 1, 2022.

The San Diego Superior Court will be closed on Monday, July 4, 2022, in observance of the courtwide holiday commemorating Independence Day.

The public is urged to visit the Court’s website at sdcourt.ca.gov to handle traffic tickets or obtain court information. 

The San Diego Superior Court will be closed on Monday, May 30, 2022, in observance of the courtwide holiday commemorating Memorial Day.

The public is urged to visit the Court’s website at sdcourt.ca.gov to handle traffic tickets or obtain court information. 

The San Diego Superior Court website (sdcourt.ca.gov) will not be available due to maintenance on Thursday, May 19 from 7-9 p.m.

The website closure will affect all San Diego Superior Court webpages.

The Honorable Tamila Ebrahimi Ipema will retire from the San Diego Superior Court on June 30, 2022, after 17 years on the bench. Judge Ipema was initially appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court as a Commissioner in 2005. In 2008, Judge Ipema was selected and appointed by the judges of the San Diego Superior Court to become a commissioner in San Diego. Just one year later, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed her as a judge to the San Diego Superior Court, where she presided over civil and criminal matters in addition to family law assignments.

The Honorable Joseph P. Brannigan has retired after nearly 18 years of service on the San Diego Superior Court Bench, ending a storied career that started with a stint as an officer in the U.S. Army followed by time spent as an FBI agent, deputy district attorney, and assistant U.S. attorney.

SAN DIEGO – April 21, 2022 – The Whaley House in Old Town San Diego will revisit its roots as San Diego’s second courthouse holding court again on Tuesday, May 17, with Judge Richard S. Whitney presiding.

Old Town San Diego was the seat of government and justice in the late 1800s before moving to downtown San Diego – then called New Town – in 1872. In recognition and celebration of the Whaley House holding court from 1868-1871, this event extends the current San Diego Superior Court to include the Whaley House as a location for official court business for one day.

he San Diego Superior Court will be closed on Thursday, March 31, 2022, in observance of the courtwide holiday commemorating Cesar Chavez Day.

The public is urged to visit the Court’s website at sdcourt.ca.gov to handle traffic tickets or obtain court information. 

Westview High School’s Mock Trial team outperformed 31 other San Diego County high school teams to win the annual legal competition. The San Diego County Mock Trial program provides high school students with the opportunity to experience the legal field in courtrooms rather than classrooms. The student teams take on the roles of lawyers and witnesses facing off on a hypothetical case in front of actual state and federal judges. The multi-round competition returned to in-person competition after being virtual last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 8, 2022 – An imaginary case involving whether smart camera footage can be used in a murder trial has drawn hundreds of local high school students into the 16^th Annual San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition.

The San Diego Superior Court’s Odyssey case management system will not be available due to a planned upgrade.

Friday, March 4 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

The Honorable Lorna A. Alksne will conclude more than 20 years of service on San Diego Superior Court bench today, capping her judicial career with the recent completion of her term as presiding judge.