Superior court management

(a) Purpose

The rules in this division establish a system of trial court management that:

(1) Promotes equal access to the courts;

(2) Establishes decentralized management of trial court resources; and

(3) Enables the trial courts to operate in an efficient, effective, and accountable manner in serving the people of California.

(b) Goals

The rules in this division are intended to ensure the authority and responsibility of the superior courts to do the following, consistent with statutes, rules of court, and standards of judicial administration:

(1) Manage their day-to-day operations with sufficient flexibility to meet the needs of those served by the courts;

(2) Establish the means of selecting presiding judges, assistant presiding judges, executive officers or court administrators, clerks of court, and jury commissioners;

(3) Manage their personnel systems, including the adoption of personnel policies;

(4) Manage their budget and fiscal operations, including allocating funding and moving funding between functions or line items;

(5) Provide input to the Judicial Council, the Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee, and Judicial Council on the trial court budget process; and

(6) Develop and implement processes and procedures to improve court operations and responsiveness to the public.

(c) Decentralized management

"Decentralized management" as used in the rules in this division refers to the administration of the trial courts on a countywide basis, unless an alternative structure has been approved by the Judicial Council, consistent with applicable statutes, rules, and standards of judicial administration.