CONSUMER ATTORNEYS LAUD GOVERNOR FOR SIGNING BILL TO INCREASE TELEPHONIC APPEARANCES
California Political Desk
October 08, 2007
New Law Will Improve Access to Courts, Reduce Litigation Costs.
Sacramento, Calif. – A Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) sponsored-bill designed to increase court telephonic appearances was signed Friday by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. AB 500 by Assembly Member Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) improves access to courts, eases traffic congestion in large cities, and reduces litigation costs. CAOC initiated this bill in direct response to feedback received from plaintiff’s attorneys throughout the state.
AB 500 is a win for everyone involved,” Assembly Member Lieu said. “By creating uniform rules, it will produce efficiencies in the legal system. It will also benefit the environment, as attorneys will spend less time in their cars driving from courthouse to courthouse. This is why the Sierra Club supported this bill.”
We are very pleased the governor recognized the importance of this bill to the state’s court system,” said Bruce Brusavich, a CAOC past president who participated in committee meetings on the bill this year.
Reducing unnecessary appearances not only relieves strained court dockets, but eliminates the need for attorneys to drive to courts sometimes two or three counties away for a brief court appearance,” said CAOC President-Elect Don Ernst, who also participated in meetings.
The new law will permit parties to appear by telephone rather than in-person at appropriate conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases. CAOC Board Members Don Ernst, Bruce Brusavich, Sharon Arkin, and Senior Legislative Counsel Nancy Drabble participated in two day-long Judicial Council Task Force meetings, Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committee meetings, and numerous conference calls to reach a resolution on this issue. As a result of their hard work, the consensus bill passed the Assembly floor 70-0 and the Senate Judiciary Committee 5-0 before the Governor’s signing today.
Sacramento, Calif. – A Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) sponsored-bill designed to increase court telephonic appearances was signed Friday by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. AB 500 by Assembly Member Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) improves access to courts, eases traffic congestion in large cities, and reduces litigation costs. CAOC initiated this bill in direct response to feedback received from plaintiff’s attorneys throughout the state.
AB 500 is a win for everyone involved,” Assembly Member Lieu said. “By creating uniform rules, it will produce efficiencies in the legal system. It will also benefit the environment, as attorneys will spend less time in their cars driving from courthouse to courthouse. This is why the Sierra Club supported this bill.”
We are very pleased the governor recognized the importance of this bill to the state’s court system,” said Bruce Brusavich, a CAOC past president who participated in committee meetings on the bill this year.
Reducing unnecessary appearances not only relieves strained court dockets, but eliminates the need for attorneys to drive to courts sometimes two or three counties away for a brief court appearance,” said CAOC President-Elect Don Ernst, who also participated in meetings.
The new law will permit parties to appear by telephone rather than in-person at appropriate conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases. CAOC Board Members Don Ernst, Bruce Brusavich, Sharon Arkin, and Senior Legislative Counsel Nancy Drabble participated in two day-long Judicial Council Task Force meetings, Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committee meetings, and numerous conference calls to reach a resolution on this issue. As a result of their hard work, the consensus bill passed the Assembly floor 70-0 and the Senate Judiciary Committee 5-0 before the Governor’s signing today.
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