vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Self-Help Glossary - selfhelp
nonservice: When a summons or warrant is issued but not served (delivered).
notary public: A person authorized under civil law to administer oaths, to attest (affirm) and certify that certain documents are authentic, and to take depositions.
notice: A written announcement or warning. For example, a notice to the other side that on a certain date a particular motion will be made in court.
Notice of Entry of Judgment: A court form telling the parties about the judge's decision in a lawsuit.
Notice of Opposition to Claim of Exemption: In small claims court, a paper filed by the judgment creditor opposing the judgment debtor's claim that certain assets are exempt from collection.
nullity: The legal invalidation of a marriage; annulment. (Compare dissolution.)
nunc pro tunc: When a court order is issued on 1 date but is effective retroactively (as of a date that is in the past); from the Latin for "now for then."
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O
objection: A formal protest made by a party over testimony or evidence that the other side tries to introduce.
obligation: Law or duty that requires parties to follow their agreement. An obligation or debt may be created by a judgment or contract, like child support.
obligee: The person, state agency, or institution owed a debt (usually money) like child support (also called "custodial party" if the money is owed to the person with primary custody of a child).
obligor: The person that must pay child support or perform some other financial obligation.
offense: An act that violates (breaks) the law. (See also crime, public offense.)
Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE): The federal agency responsible for administering the nationwide child support program.
California’s Child Welfare System: Addressing Disproportionalities and Disparities
As shown by Figure 10, disparities are present beginning with allegations and are maintained through all stages of child welfare system involvement, becoming most pronounced for children who are removed from their home and are in foster care. Figure 10 shows the relative extent to which children of different racial/ethnic groups are involved with various levels of the child welfare system, compared to white children. Bars to the right of center indicate relatively higher rates of involvement, while bars to the left of center indicate relatively lower rates of involvement. For example, a bar extending to the far right of the figure would indicate ten times higher likelihood of involvement. Similarly, a bar extending all the way to the far left of the figure would indicate ten times lower likelihood of involvement. Specifically, the top set of bars indicates that Black children are around three times more likely to be the subject of an allegation and nearly five‑and‑a‑half times more likely to be in foster care compared to white children. 

After Accounting for Poverty, Disparities Remain for Certain Groups. When adjusting for poverty, disparities are diminished as shown in Figure 11, although Black and Native American youth are still more likely than all other racial/ethnic groups to have substantiated allegations, enter into, and be in care. In addition, when controlling for poverty, the overall trend for Hispanic/Latino children changes and they are less likely, relative to white children, to become involved with the child welfare system. Notably, these data reflect the federal poverty level. Rates of deep poverty—that is, families with incomes lower than 50 percent of the federal poverty level—also vary by race/ethnicity. In California, Black, Native American, and Hispanic/Latino children are more likely than children of other races/ethnicities to experience this more extreme level of deprivation. For example, in 2021, Black children were roughly three times more likely than white children to experience deep poverty (16 percent compared to 5 percent). 
Cumulative Lifetime System Involvement Also Disproportional and Disparate.
Family Court Services | Superior Court of California | County of Tulare
If the Court orders parties to attend a Batterer's Intervention Program, this is usually because a determination has been made that a parent can benefit from skills, tools and knowledge to prevent future incidents of abuse toward a spouse/significant other/parent of the child/or person with whom you cohabitate. This is a 52-week group series and a completion certificate is required to be filed with the Clerk of the Court. Per Family Code 3044, if a finding of domestic violence has been made by a Court, the parent must successfully complete a Batterer's Intervention Program before any modification to custody or visitation can occur. The following agencies provide Batterer's Intervention Programs in Tulare County.  If you are not sure which program to take, please review your Order for Referral to Services for specific information. 
Family Services of Tulare County (offered in both English and Spanish)
Central California Family Crisis Center
Child Abuse Prevention Program
If the Court orders parties to attend a Child Abuse Prevention Program, this is usually because a determination has been made that a parent can benefit from skills, tools and knowledge to prevent future incidents of abuse toward a child. This is a 52-week group series and a completion certificate is required to be filed with the Clerk of the Court. The following agencies provide Child Abuse Prevention Programs in Tulare County.  If you are not sure which program to take, please review your Order for Referral to Services for specific information. 

Family Services of Tulare County (offered in both English and Spanish)

Central California Family Crisis Center

Counseling Services
The Court orders counseling services in a variety of ways: individual for children and/or adults, conjoint counseling between a parent and child, or therapeutic reunification counseling when as child has an estranged relationship with a parent after a significant period of absence. The Court usually orders the parents to obtain and file a progress report of counseling at least 10 days prior to a court hearing date, or prior to a child custody recommending counseling session with the Court appointed counselor. Parties are usually ordered to attend counseling until it is determined by the treating therapist that counseling is no longer necessary, unless otherwise ordered by the Court. The following agencies provide counseling services in Tulare County.
Family Law Facilitator | Superior Court of California | County of Tuolumne
The Family Law Facilitator can help you in preparing your own forms, and can give you general information.  
We cannot go with you to court.

Contact Information
Superior Court of California,
County of Tuolumne
New Courthouse
12855 Justice Center Drive
Sonora, CA 95370
Telephone: 209-533-6565
Fax: 209-533-6623

Services Provided by the Facilitator
The Facilitator's Office provides forms, samples, and information in the following areas:

How to obtain or change child support, spousal support, and health insurance orders, including information regarding support amounts based upon statutory guidelines;

How to obtain or contest a wage assignment;

How to calculate child and spousal support;

How to set a hearing on child or spousal support arrears;

How to set a hearing to reinstate suspended driver's license and other licenses in child support cases;

How to enforce child and spousal support orders;

How to complete orders and judgments in family law cases;

How to establish paternity; including information regarding genetic testing and referrals to community agencies;

How to complete answers and responsive declarations to the Department of Child Support Services complaints and motions; motions to set aside (cancel) judgments, fee waiver applications, income and expense declarations, and wage assignments;

How to begin, modify, and finish a family law case;

Provide referrals to other community agencies and resources that offer services for parents and children; and

Mediate child support, spousal support, and health insurance issues between the parties.

What is a Family Law Facilitator
The Family Code requires the Superior Court in each of California's 58 counties to maintain an Office of the Family Law Facilitator to provide self represented parties with education, information, and assistance with child support, spousal support, and health insurance issues. These services are available at no charge.
Each court appoints a California-licensed attorney with mediation/litigation experience in family law to head the office, and appoints additional attorneys and support staff depending upon need and available resources.
Criminal Justice Services - criminal_justice
Data Dashboards: Trends in Felony Court Case Processing
MyCitations – Can’t afford to pay your ticket?
Proposition 64: The Adult Use of Marijuana Act
Prior Reforms

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Criminal Justice Services (CJS) oversees and coordinates the Judicial Council's efforts related to criminal justice.
CJS performs a broad range of legal, program, and research functions to facilitate the Council’s obligations related to criminal justice policy, procedure, and court administration. CJS provides assistance to courts, justice system partners, and the public. California has embarked on a wide-ranging program of criminal justice reforms over the past decades that have had fundamental impact.  
Click here to see Prior Reforms
Current Criminal Justice Services Office Programs
Behavioral Health Education and Resources
The Behavioral Health Education and Resources page focuses on the intersection of criminal justice and behavioral health, and provides resources for courts to better address the needs of court users. This page is intended for California court judicial officers, court employees, and justice partner agencies.
Collaborative Justice Courts (Adult Criminal)
Collaborative justice courts, also known as problem-solving courts, combine judicial supervision with rehabilitation services to reduce recidivism and improve criminal justice and health outcomes. Examples of collaborative justice courts include community courts, drug courts, mental health courts, reentry courts, and veterans courts.
California Pretrial Release Program
The Budget Act of 2021 (SB 129) provided funding for “the implementation and operation of ongoing court programs and practices that promote the safe, efficient, fair, and timely pretrial release of individuals booked into jail.”  
 SB 129 appropriated funding to the Judicial Council of California for distribution to the courts to provide every superior court with information and resources to support judicial officers in making pretrial release decisions that impose the least restrictive conditions to address public safety and return to court, and to implement appropriate monitoring practices and provision of services for released individuals.  
Community Corrections Performance Incentives Act (SB 678)
The Judicial Council is involved in the administration of two community supervision initiatives that promote the use of evidence-based practices in the sentencing and supervising of felony offenders.
MyCitations – Online Ability to Pay (Can’t afford to pay your ticket?)
Civil Self Help Services: Sacramento Superior Court

Dismissal will not permit you to own, possess, or have in your custody or control a firearm, and will not prevent you from being convicted under
	 	
	 	Section 12021 of the Penal Code - external link (person prohibited from possessing a firearm) in the future.

	 	You will still need to register under 
	 	Penal Code §290 - external link.

	 	Dismissal does not seal your record, destroy or remove any entries from the court, law enforcement, Department of Justice or DMV. The case,
	 	including the conviction will remain public record.

Can my charges be dismissed?

	Anyone who has paid all court ordered fees, fines, and victim restitution and meets the following criteria is eligible for dismissal under the
	following codes:


	PC 1203.3 - external link – Probation should be terminated early in the interests of justice.

	PC 1203.4 - external link – All conditions of probation have been completed.

	PC 1203.4a - external link, 
	PC 1203.41 - external link – All terms of sentencing have been completed.

	PC 1203.42 - external link – Effective 1/1/2018 the court may order relief if all conditions of PC 1203.42 are met.
	
	Click here for more information - external link.

	PC 1203.43 - external link - Petitioner performed satisfactorily during the period in which deferred entry of
	judgment was granted, and can establish that criminal charge(s) were dismissed under PC 1000.3.

You are NOT eligible if:

You are serving a sentence for any offense, are still on formal /informal probation for any offense,
	or are currently being charged with the commission of any offense.
You failed to appear or failed to pay fines to the Department of Motor Vehicles, or to the Department
	of Revenue Recovery.
You were convicted of violating 
	VC 2800 - external link, 
	2801 - external link, or 
	2803 - external link.
Probation was revoked in a case and not later reinstated.
You were arrested and convicted of a crime within one year of judgment.
You cannot dismiss any misdemeanor that is within the provisions of 
	VC 42001(b) - external link; or any violation of the
	following:
California’s Child Welfare System: Addressing Disproportionalities and Disparities
Continuing to implement reforms beyond the front‑end of the system will be important to help improve outcomes for youth once they are in foster care; however, this report focuses on disproportionalities and disparities prior to that point.
Mandated Reporting of Suspected Child Maltreatment
State Law Defines Certain Professionals as Mandated Reporters and Requires Them to Report Any Suspected Maltreatment to Child Welfare Agency. Federal law requires states to have provisions or procedures for reporting known or suspected child maltreatment. However, federal law does not specify who should be required to report or the standards for making a report, leaving this to states’ discretion. In California, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) (Penal Code Sections 11164‑11174.3) defines numerous professionals as “mandated reporters” and lays out the specific procedures for required reporting. The state’s mandated reporters include teachers and other school personnel, medical professionals, social workers, law enforcement, child care workers, and numerous other professionals who may be in regular contact with children and their families. CANRA specifies that mandated reporters must report to their local child welfare agency (or police/sherriff department) as soon as possible upon suspecting maltreatment. CANRA further specifies that mandated reporters may face consequences for failing to report, including up to six months jail time and a $1,000 fine. 
Large Number of Mandated Reports Each Year, Mostly Coming From Teachers. Annually, around half a million reports are made to the state’s child abuse hotlines. As shown in Figure 14, in most years, the largest percentage of these reports are made by teachers and other school personnel (around 20 percent) with the second largest percentage coming from law enforcement and other legal professionals (also around 20 percent in recent years). The COVID‑19 pandemic period saw the number of reports from teachers/school personnel drop sharply, likely in large part due to school closures which resulted in less in‑person contact between teachers and children. 

Substantiation Rates Vary Significantly by Reporter Type. Allegations from certain reporter types, relative to other reporter types, are much more likely to be substantiated and result in entries to care.
Criminal | Superior Court of California | County of Tulare
A hearing will be held to attempt to resolve the case without going to trial.
Case does not resolve and proceeds to trial. (See: What occurs at trial, below.)
What Occurs at Trial?
Misdemeanor Jury Trial:
Jury is selected.
Witnesses testify and evidence is presented.
Jury decides if the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
If not guilty, the defendant is released and cannot be tried again for the same crime.
If guilty, the defendant is entenced to jail, probation, or other conditions.
Appeal: If the defendant disagrees with the jury's decision, he/she can appeal to the Appellate Department of the Superior Court.
Misdemeanor Court Trial:
Witnesses testify and evidence is presented.
Judge decides whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
If not guilty, the defendant is released and cannot be tried again for the same crime.
If guilty, the defendant is sentenced to jail, probation, or other conditions.
Appeal: The defendant can appeal.
If the defendant disagrees with the judge's decision, he/she can appeal to the Appellate Department of the Superior Court
Felony Jury Trial:
Jury is selected.
Witnesses testify and evidence is presented.
Jury decides if the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
If not guilty, the defendant is released and cannot be tried again for the same crime.
If guilty, the Probation Department prepares a pre-sentence report, and the defendant is sentenced to prison, felony probation, and/or other conditions.
Appeal: If the defendant disagrees with the decision, he/she can appeal to the District Court of Appeal.
Felony Court Trial
Witnesses testify and evidence is presented.
Judge decides whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty.
If not guilty, the defendant is released and cannot be tried again for the same crime.
If guilty, the defendant is sentenced to prison, felony probation, and/or other conditions. ? Appeal: If the defendant disagrees with the decision, he/she can appeal to the District Court of Appeal.

Contact Information
Tulare County Superior Court,
Criminal Division
221 South Mooney Blvd, Room 124
Jury Services FAQs | Superior Court of California | County of Tuolumne
Contact the Jury Clerk if you have not received compensation or have questions.

What if I do not have child care?

California Law does not allow an excusal from jury duty because of lack of routine childcare.

What if I am breastfeeding?

A mother who is breastfeeding may request that jury service be deferred for up to one year, and may renew that request as long as she is breastfeeding (California Rules of Court, Rule 2.1006). 
You may request a deferral by checking the space in section (F) "REQUEST TO BE EXCUSED" on your jury summons.  Date, sign, and return it to the Jury Clerk.

What if I care for a dependent family member?

If you have a personal obligation to provide actual and necessary care to another, including sick, aged or infirm dependents, or a child who requires personal care and attention and no comparable substitute care is either available or practical without imposing an undue economic hardship (California Rules of Court, Rule 2.1008(d)(7)), you may request an excusal by checking the space in section (2) (E) "REQUEST TO BE EXCUSED" on your summons.  Date, sign, and return the summons to the Jury Clerk along with providing the written verification requested on the summons.  (Verification from the family member’s physician listing age, relationship and reason care is necessary). This will excuse you from service for two years.

Why do I always get summoned but other people do not?

All persons chosen for jury service are selected at random from source lists provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles, Franchise Tax Board, as well as the list of registered voters residing in the county who are 18 years of age or older, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure § 197.

What if I have already served in the past year?

If in the past 12 months you have already served, contact the Jury Clerk by phone or on the summons check box “F” under section (1) DISQUALIFICATION.  Fill in the necessary information, then date, sign and return it to the Jury Clerk.  If you have been called again, but it has been more than 12 months, your name has been randomly selected again.
Prior Reforms - criminal_justice_prior_reforms
The Amendment of the Three Strikes Sentencing Law (May 2017) by J. Richard Couzens, Judge of the Superior Court of Placer County (Ret.) and Presiding Justice Tricia A. Bigelow, Court of Appeal, 2nd Appellate District, Div. 8 

Video: Prop 36 Amendments to California's Three-Strikes Sentencing

 
	

Playlist Index:

	Part 1: Introduction
	Part 2: Use of a Firearm
	Part 3: Prior Offenses
	Part 4: Consecutive Sentencing
	Part 5: Petitioning for Resentencing
	Part 6: Multiple Counts
	Part 7: Qualification Hearing
	Part 8: Court's Discretion
	Part 9: Pleadings and Retrial
	Part 10: Order of the Court

	view the full video (54:57)

Evidence-Based Practice

Perhaps the most important reform in state sentencing and corrections practice taking place today is the incorporation of principles of evidence-based practice into state sentencing and corrections policy and practice. 

The term evidence-based practice (EBP) was used initially in relation to medicine, but has since been adopted by many fields including education, child welfare, mental health, and criminal justice. 
EBP refers to outcome-focused approaches and interventions that have been scientifically tested in controlled studies and proven effective. EBP implies that there is a definable outcome(s), which are measurable and are defined according to practical realities (recidivism, victim satisfaction, etc.). 
Interventions within corrections are considered effective when they reduce offender risk and subsequent recidivism. (Note - recidivism can be defined in many ways, i.e., re-arrest, re-conviction, parole revocation, return to incarceration, return to prison.) When offender risk is reduced, there are fewer victims of crime and public safety is enhanced. 
Listed below are the commonly used Evidence-Based Principles for Community Corrections: 

Assess Actuarial Risk/Needs. 
Enhance Intrinsic Motivation. 
Target Interventions. 
	
Risk Principle: Prioritize supervision and treatment resources for higher risk offenders. 
Need Principle: Target interventions to criminogenic needs.