Court Administration

Message from Presiding Judge Stephen P. Freccero

Welcome to the Superior Court of California for the County of Marin. Our goal is to serve the public with dignity and respect and to provide fair and equal access to justice for all.

Our Courthouse is located in the Marin County Civic Center, a beautiful and historic public space designed by the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Superior Court consists of different departments handling Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, Traffic, and Probate matters. We have a bench of twelve Superior Court Judges, one Commissioner, and one Referee. In addition, the Court has a dedicated staff of talented employees who help run all aspects of court operations.

This website is designed to give you useful information about the Court and how to access its services. Here, you can access case information, respond to a jury summons, pay a traffic fine (or request a fine reduction based on need), and learn how you can make remote video appearances for certain proceedings. This website also allows you to access court forms, local rules, and provides contact information for our services and links to our community partners. 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. 

Regards,

Hon. Stephen P. Freccero
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 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; complies 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 ensure 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.