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Ventura County Superior Court

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ventura County Superior Court
Established1872
JurisdictionVentura County, California
Location
Appeals toCalifornia Court of Appeal for the Second District, Division Six
Websiteventura.courts.ca.gov
Presiding Judge
CurrentlyHon. Bruce A. Young
SinceAug 13, 2020[1]
Lead position ends2022
Assistant Presiding Judge
CurrentlyHon. Kevin G. DeNoce
SinceAug 13, 2020[1]
Court Executive Officer
CurrentlyMichael D. Planet
Since2001[2]

The Superior Court of California, County of Ventura County, is the California superior court with jurisdiction over Ventura County.

History

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Ventura County was formed on March 22, 1872.[3] The original Ventura County Courthouse was completed in 1875[4]: 55, 58  by William Dewey Hobson and T. B. Steepleton from a design by Hobson. Additions were made in 1879 and 1884,[5] and the building was remodeled in 1900.[6] The first courthouse was demolished around 1920;[7] the site is now occupied by the May Henning School on Santa Clara Street.[4]: 58 

Ventura City Hall, which formerly was the Ventura County Courthouse from 1913 to 1968. Photographed by Carol Highsmith in 2012.

A bond measure was passed, authorizing US$150,000 (equivalent to $4,910,000 in 2023) for a new courthouse in 1911.[8] The new Ventura County Courthouse was designed by architect Albert C. Martin Sr. and completed in 1912.[9] The new building was officially dedicated on July 7, 1913.[10][11]: 29  A new jail wing was added in 1931–32.[12][13] After the 1912 building was declared unsafe in November 1968,[14] the City of Ventura purchased the 1912 building and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[9] After the city completed an extensive renovation,[15] partially defrayed by grants from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Economic Development Administration,[16] it has served as the Ventura City Hall since 1974.[17]

The County of Ventura purchased land in eastern Ventura for a new Government Center.[16] The current main courtrooms and administrative offices of the Ventura County Superior Court are at the Ventura Hall of Justice, which was completed in 1980 as part of Phase 2 of the Ventura County Government Center. The design is credited to the architectural firms led by John Carl Warnecke and Dan Dworsky.[18][19]

The East County Courthouse in Simi Valley opened in March 1991.[20] Although the East County Courthouse was intended to provide services for communities east of the Conejo Grade, it was nearly closed in 1993 over a budget dispute and only staffed by court commissioners, whose scope was limited to traffic, small claims, and family cases until 1995.[21]

Venues

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Ventura County Superior Court locations:
1
Hall of Justice, 800 S Victoria Ave (Ventura)
2
Juvenile Justice, 4353 E Vineyard Ave (Oxnard)
3
East County, 3855 Alamo St (Simi Valley)
4
Ventura City Hall, 501 Poli St (Ventura, 1912–68)

The main court is located at the Ventura Hall of Justice in Ventura. Juvenile cases are primarily held at the Juvenile Justice Center in Oxnard.[22]

Cases are also held at the East County Courthouse in Simi Valley.[22] It is notable as the site of the 1992 trial for the police officers who were accused of beating Rodney King.[23][24] The East County Courthouse had opened in 1991.[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ventura Superior Court Elects Presiding and Assistant Presiding Judges" (PDF) (Press release). Superior Court of California, County of Ventura. August 24, 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Superior Court Executive Officer Michael D. Planet appointed to the Judicial Council of California". Santa Paula News. July 4, 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  3. ^ California State Assembly. "An act to create the County of Ventura, to establish the boundaries thereof, and to provide for its organization". Nineteenth Session of the Legislature. Statutes of California. State of California. Ch. CCCLI p. 484. direct URL
  4. ^ a b Historic Resources Group (April 2007). Historic Resources Survey Update: Downtown Specific Plan Area (PDF) (Report). City of Ventura. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Images for Ventura County, California". CourthouseHistory. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Ventura's Courthouse". Los Angeles Herald. October 6, 1900. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Old Courthouse At Ventura Passes". Morning Press. May 8, 1920. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Ventura a fixture as a county seat". Morning Press. August 3, 1911. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  9. ^ a b "National Register Information System – Ventura County Courthouse (#71000211)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  10. ^ "Ventura's new courthouse is deddicated". Santa Ana Register. July 7, 1913. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  11. ^ Galvin Preservation Associates (January 2011). Westside Historic Context & Survey Report, City of Ventura (Report). City of Ventura. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Modern Heating System to be used in New Addition". Ventura County Star. November 23, 1931. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  13. ^ Woodard, Josef (January 31, 1991). "A Solid History". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  14. ^ Overaker, Ken (January 26, 1969). "Ventura County's Courthouse May Be Nearing Its Last Days". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  15. ^ Green, Terence M. (November 25, 1973). "Ventura Courthouse to Begin New Life". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Courthouse/City Hall Conversion Proceeds". Los Angeles Times. June 24, 1973. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  17. ^ Weinstock, Carol (December 20, 1990). "Old Courthouse Does Justice to Design". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  18. ^ Deacon, John. "Ventura County". American Courthouses. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  19. ^ Werkman, Dirk (March 5, 1975). "Tight Security Set in Justice Hall". Oxnard Press Courier. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  20. ^ Lozano, Carlos V. (March 5, 1991). "Officials Satisfied After Hectic Opening Day in New Courthouse". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  21. ^ Reed, Mack (November 29, 1995). "Here Comes the Judge--Finally : 2 Jurists Begin Hearing Cases in East County Courthouse". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Ventura County Superior Court locations". Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  23. ^ "Rodney King dead at age 47". Ventura County Star. 2012-06-17. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  24. ^ "Rodney King riot: Timeline of key events". AP News. April 26, 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  25. ^ Serrano, Richard A. (February 4, 1992). "King Case Shifts to Courtroom in Simi Valley". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
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