Politics & Government

Malibu Cases Heading to Santa Monica, Van Nuys

The shuttering of the Malibu Courthouse will coincide with seven other closures in Los Angeles County due to budget cuts.

Cases from Malibu will be heard in Santa Monica and Van Nuys starting next month.

The Malibu Courthouse, located at 23525 Civic Center Way, will no longer hear cases starting June 3, according to Mary Hearn, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Superior Court. The shuttering in Malibu will coincide with seven other closures. 

Some 45,670 cases, including 35,535 traffic infractions were filed at the Malibu Courthouse during the 2011-12 fiscal year. 

All new felony and misdemeanor cases from Malibu will be filed at the Van Nuys Courthouse West, 14400 Erwin Street. Traffic cases will be handled at the Santa Monica Courthouse, 1725 Main St. 

The changes will require longer drives for deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lost Hills/Malibu Station. 

Hearn told another publication that a decision has not been made on whether traffic tickets can still be paid in Malibu. 

As for what will happen to Malibu's Judge, Lawrence J. Mira, who took over the Malibu Courthouse from Judge John Merrick, remains unclear. Assignments for judges have not been finalized yet, she said. 

"Judges can’t be laid off," Hearn said. "He’ll be working somewhere."

Other courthouses scheduled for closure include Huntington Park, Whittier, Pomona, West L.A., Beverly Hills, San Pedro and the Kenyon Juvenile Justice Center in Los Angeles. 


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