BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SCR 126
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 31, 2010

                             ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
                                Nancy Skinner, Chair
                 SCR 126 (Corbett) - As Introduced:  August 25, 2010
                       (As proposed to be amended:  RN1024093)

           SENATE VOTE  :   28-0
           
          SUBJECT  :   Chief Justice Ronald M. George Justice Center.

           SUMMARY  :   Designates the Civic Center Complex, compromised of  
          the Earl Warren Building and the Hiram W. Johnson State Office  
          Building, located at the Civic Center Plaza in the City and  
          County of San Francisco, while maintaining the existing names of  
          the buildings, as the Ronald M. George Justice Center in honor  
          of his service as Chief Justice of California.  Specifically,  
           this resolution  makes the following legislative findings:   

          1)Since assuming office as California's 27th Chief Justice in  
            1996, Ronald M. George has provided visionary, inspirational,  
            and collaborative leadership that has been pivotal in the  
            transformation of California's court system into a truly  
            statewide system with the unifying goal of equal access to  
            fair and consistent justice for all in every venue in the  
            state.  

          2)Chief Justice George has been a driving force behind myriad  
            branchwide initiatives, including self-help programs, pro bono  
            services, education in fairness and cultural competency for  
            judges and court staff, public funding for legal services,  
            interpreter services, one-day or one-trial jury service, and  
            plain English jury instructions; and he has worked to promote  
            the fair and respectful treatment of all, thereby increasing  
            not only access to justice, but also the public's respect for  
            the operation and integrity of the judicial branch of  
            government.

          3)Chief Justice George worked tirelessly with the Legislature,  
            and successive Governors, as well as within the judicial  
            branch to accomplish reforms that resulted in state funding  
            for the trial courts unification of 220 municipal and superior  
            courts into 58 trial courts, one in each county, and the  
            transfer of California's court facilities from county to state  
            ownership under the management of the judicial branch.








                                                                  SCR 126
                                                                  Page  2


          4)Ronald M. George has distinguished himself as an exceptional  
            Chief Justice of California, responsible for achieving  
            unprecedented improvement in the administration of justice in  
            our state, and is acknowledged as a jurist dedicated to the  
            rule of law, intellectual rigor, impartiality, integrity, and  
            judicial excellence in all its forms.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          None on file.
           
            Opposition 
           
          None on file.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Lia Lopez / RLS. / (916) 319-2800