To save money, Fresno’s main courts will close – but just four days in December

Two courthouses in Fresno will temporarily close for four days in December to trim expenses, Fresno County Superior Court officials said Wednesday.

The Fresno County Superior Court on Van Ness Avenue and the B.F. Sisk Courthouse on O Street will close between Dec. 26-29. Necessary hearings from those courthouses will be transferred to the “M” Street Courthouse on Tuolumne Street.

Court spokeswoman Suzanne Abi-Rached said the state’s fiscal 2017-18 budget resulted in the courts having to look at ways to cut down on costs.

The court chose to undergo a “voluntary furlough” to condense operations during what are typically the slowest days of the year for the courts and when many workers choose to take vacations. The four-day closure is expected to help the courts save around $250,000.

“This stretches our budget a little further,” Abi-Rached said.

During the closures, Departments 97A and 97B at the “M” Street Courthouse will open as “standby” trial courtrooms for adult criminal cases, as needed. Department 97C will process emergency orders as well as traffic and criminal infraction walk-in arraignments in the morning only.

Prearranged matters and adult criminal arraignment hearings will still be held in Departments 95 and 96 at the North Annex Jail, 1265 M St., during the four days.

Clerk’s Office services will be available at the “M” Street Courthouse and at the Juvenile Justice Campus. Case-specific windows at the “M” Street Courthouse, 2317 Tuolomne St., will be open for traffic, civil/small claims, probate, family law/family support and criminal cases. The clerk’s office at the Juvenile Justice Campus, 3333 East American Ave., will be open only for juvenile-related matters.

Clerk’s Office hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Self-Help Center and archive department services will not be available during the four-day closure.

This story was originally published July 12, 2017 at 4:07 PM with the headline "To save money, Fresno’s main courts will close – but just four days in December."