Message from Presiding Judge James T. Chou
Welcome to the Marin County Superior Court’s website. This website is designed to help carry out the Court’s Mission – to ensure fair and equal access to justice, and to serve the public with dignity and respect. I hope that you find the website to be user-friendly, easy to navigate, accurate, and complete. To this end, the website is searchable using common words and phrases, and is written in plain English with minimal legal jargon. The content is also available in Spanish. We hope to answer all your questions through a simple click of your mouse.
In addition to providing specific case information, the material contained in the website includes details about court programs, services, and procedures aimed to help inform the public and prepare litigants before coming to court. The site also includes contact information (phone numbers, and email addresses) organized by subject area and department. The website also serves as a portal and link to other resources including the Judicial Council of California, and various departments in the County of Marin. We also include a variety of links to other helpful websites which provide information on subjects such as how to obtain affordable legal resources and self-help services, and how to access court forms that can be completed online.
I sincerely hope our website helps to make your court experience productive and understandable, and that we are able to eliminate the frustrations that often stem from navigating an unfamiliar bureaucracy. If the website and linked information does not answer your questions, please do not hesitate to let us know how we can better serve you.
Thank you for visiting.
James T. Chou,
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.