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Court Administration

Welcome & Overview

Message from Presiding Judge Mark A. Talamantes

Salutations and welcome to the Superior Court of California, County of Marin.  Our goal is to deliver excellent public service for all.  We are committed to providing fair and equal access to justice and serve the public with dignity and respect.

Consistent with this philosophy, this website is designed to give you useful information about the Court and how to access its services.  We hope our website helps make your interaction with the Court easier and efficient.  Here, you can access case information, respond to a jury summons, pay a traffic fine.  We provide information on how to request a traffic fine reduction in cases of financial need.  You will also find links to help you make video remote appearances in each department.  This website provides access to a wide variety of resources, including court forms, local rules and fee information, jury duty status, self-help information, courthouse location and contact information, links to our community partners.

We are proud of our court and how we use technology.  Marin Superior Court is the recipient of the 2023 IJIS Institute Thomas J. O'Reilly Innovation Award, given in recognition of our staff's execution and successful launch of the Court's eCourt  system, which was implemented in July 2023.  Awarded in Virginia in November 2023, this honor recognizes technical innovation that has significantly contributed to the advancement of information sharing in the public sector.  Our leadership and information technology teams were recognized for both the innovative and collaborative work to modernize the Court's records-keeping systems and transition from a paper-based operation, and also for the impacts this project has on providing justice and equity to the good people of Marin County and beyond.  

The Court is located in the Marin County Civic Center, which is a beautiful public space designed by the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  The Court consists of twelve departments.  Commissioners also hear traffic, child support matters, and assist in the misdemeanor department.

We hope this website serves as a useful and convenient tool to help you navigate the legal system and answer your questions about court processes.

My best regards,

Hon. Mark Andrew Talamantes
Presiding Judge


An Overview of Court Administration from James M. Kim, Court Executive Officer

The Court is a community institution, funded with public resources, and is vitally interested in providing excellent service to all who have reason to visit, whether in person or by phone, email or other correspondence. Court Administration is committed to continuous improvement of all of the court's programs, accessibility for all users, and especially public service.

Court Administration welcomes complaints, comments and observations from individuals who have had an opportunity to interact with the court or its staff. Moreover, Court Administration is interested in suggestions and recommendations regarding how the court can better meet the needs of the public it serves. Please do not hesitate to contact Court Administration to provide this valuable feedback on the court's performance.

Governance Structure

Court Administration, also called the Office of the Court Executive, provides leadership, direction and oversight to all administrative and operational areas of the Court. The Court Executive Officer is appointed by the Judges and is responsible for ensuring that the court operates efficiently; is in compliance with laws, rules and procedures mandated by California law and the Judicial Council of California; and generally supports the work of judicial officers in adjudicating cases before the court. The Court Executive Officer is 'at will' and serves at the direction of the Presiding Judge. The Court Executive Officer is also the Clerk of the Court and the Jury Commissioner. James M. Kim is the Court Executive Officer and has been serving in this capacity since 2015.

The Court Executive Officer works closely with the Presiding Judge to assure the effective and efficient operation of the Court. California Rules of Court, beginning at section 10.603, describe specific duties of the Presiding Judge and the Court Executive Officer in fulfilling their roles of management and oversight of the Court.

Purpose and Responsibilities

Acting at the direction of the Presiding Judge, Court Administration is responsible for the management and administration of the non-judicial operations of the Court. Specifically, Court Administration is responsible for allocating resources in a manner that promotes access to justice for all members of the public, provides a forum for the fair and expeditious resolution of disputes, maximizes the use of judicial and other resources, increases efficiency in court operations, and enhances service to the public.

Court Administration's areas of responsibility are broad and diverse. They include:

  • Clerk's Offices for Criminal, Traffic, Civil, Small Claims, Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile matters;
  • Courtroom Support, including courtroom staff, legal research, and interpreters;
  • Records Management;
  • Jury Services;
  • Legal Self Help Services;
  • Human Resources for all court employees, including training and professional development, and ADA accommodations for individuals with disabilities;
  • Finance, including budget preparation, financial and grant reporting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, fund reconciliation, revenue distribution, procurement, facilities management and court collections;
  • Information Technology, including network services, telecommunications, software deployment, disaster recovery, and application management;
  • Family Court Services, including child custody, juvenile dependency mediation, and conservatorship and guardianship investigations;
  • Court Security, including courtroom and perimeter services;
  • Staffing of court-appointed committees and commissions;
  • Public information distribution and press releases;

In addition to these duties, Court Administration also serves as liaison between the Court and the Judicial Council of California, which provides direction and assistance to all California Courts. The Court Executive Officer serves on several advisory committees and working groups that provide input to the Judicial Council of California in developing branch-wide policies to improve the administration of justice in California.

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