Pleas by Reiner, Board Fail to Save Night Court

Los Angeles County’s 5-year-old night court will shut down Dec. 1, despite criticism from prosecutors and defense attorneys, Presiding Judge Ricardo Torres has announced.

In a prepared statement, Torres said the Los Angeles Superior Court Executive Committee considered a request from the Board of Supervisors to delay closing the night court program because of the widespread support it has garnered. In a letter to Torres, Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner argued that an expected shortage of criminal courtrooms, estimated at between 26 and 52 in the next three years, was reason enough to preserve the night court system.

But the committee decided that, with the opening of three new criminal courts in Van Nuys, there was no longer a need to handle cases after hours. In addition, there are no longer enough judges to staff all the courtrooms in the county, Torres said.