Judge Brian Haynes
The Richard E. Arnason Justice Center’s current bench officers include Judges Brian Haynes, Judy Johnson, Cheryl Mills, Charles (Steve) Treat, John Cope and Commissioner Lowell Richards (morning hours only).
Judge Cope was sworn in as a Superior Court Judge on February 10, 2014, and we are pleased that his first assignment is with the Pittsburg Court.
Our staff is led by Court Administrator Barbara Richmond. Every year, the staff seems to do more work with less resources, and I remain grateful for their efficiency and professionalism.
Cases heard in the Pittsburg Court include: Misdemeanor and felony criminal cases from arraignment through jury trial stage, domestic violence and civil harassment restraining order hearings, small claims, unlawful detainer cases and traffic cases.
During the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the Pittsburg Court received over 5,000 new filings in the Felony/Misdemeanor Criminal Division alone. These numbers represent a significant increase over the previous fiscal year.
Even though Commissioner Richards is only in Pittsburg for the morning calendar, he was responsible for 22,216 traffic cases, 1,815 unlawful detainer cases and 936 small claims cases filed during the 2013-2014 fiscal year.
A summary of the calendar matrix is as follows:
MONDAY
A.M.: Jury Trials, In Custody Pretrials, Arraignments, Traffic, Small Claims, Unlawful Detainer
P.M.: Jury Trials, Law and Motion, Arraignments
TUESDAY
A.M.: Jury Trials, Preliminary Hearings, Traffic, Small Claims, Unlawful Detainer
P.M.: Jury Trials, Preliminary Hearings
WEDNESDAY
A.M.: Jury Trials, Preliminary Hearings, Traffic, Small Claims, Unlawful Detainer
P.M.: Jury Trials, Preliminary Hearings, Misdemeanor Pretrials
THURSDAY
A.M.: Jury Trials, Arraignments, Private Counsel Pretrials, Traffic, Small Claims, Unlawful Detainer
P.M.: Jury Trials, Law and Motion, Domestic Violence and Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
FRIDAY
A.M.: Jury Trials, Pretrials, Probation Review, Traffic, Small Claims, Unlawful Detainer
P.M.: Jury Trials, Small Claims De Novo Trials