Welcome From the Chief

Welcome to the California courts.

Every day people of all ages come to court for many different reasons. The court may be helping a family solve a problem. Sometimes it may need to know about what a person saw or experienced so that it has the information it needs to help a family solve a problem. School classes also visit the court to learn about how the courts work.

One of my jobs, as the Chief Justice, is to be sure that all of the people who come to court, no matter who they are, get the help and information they need. We wrote this book especially for young people so that each of you can find out more about courts and how they work.

This book is full of information. We hope it is also lots of fun. It is filled with activities that help explain different types of court cases and new words that are used in court. You can work on the book while you are at court and can also take it home with you.

Remember—you are important to me and to the people who work at the court. If you are confused or want to know more about anything that happens during your day in court, please ask questions.

I hope you like What’s Happening in Court.

Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye
Supreme Court of California