History of Santa Cruz Superior Court
History
The Santa Cruz County Superior Court has a history of multiple locations and buildings since its establishment. Initially, court sessions were held in the Eagle Hotel, then in a building on Emmett Street donated by Thomas Fallon. The court later moved to a "flatiron edifice" before settling into a new courthouse designed by Thomas Beck in 1867 at Cooper and Pacific. This Romanesque Revival building was later remodeled and reopened as the Cooper House after the court relocated to a new site in 1967. The Cooper House was eventually demolished due to damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
in 1850
In 1850 California became the 31st state in the Union on September 9, 1850.
William Blackburn became the first county judge for Santa Cruz County and Court was held at the Eagle Hotel.
In 1879
The California Constitution of 1879 established the Superior Court system.
James Harvey Logan became the first Superior Court Judge for Santa Cruz County.
Santa Cruz County used several sites to conduct court proceedings before the Ocean Street courthouse was built in 1967.
In 1989
The First South County courthouse opened in Watsonville in 1951.
South County's second Watsonville Courthouse opened in 2008.
Juvenile Court facilities opened in the 1970s in Felton.
The county's first Municipal Court began in 1953, hearing traffic, small claims, limited civil, and misdemeanor criminal cases.
In 1989, the State of California voted to unify Municipal Courts and Superior Courts into one Superior Court of general jurisdiction. By January 2001, all 58 counties had a unified court system.
In 1989, Heather Morse was the first female judge to be appointed in Santa Cruz County.
The mission of the Santa Cruz Superior Court is to preserve and protect the rights and ideals of society through the interpretation and enforcement of law, provide equal access to justice through quality service to the community by judicial officers and court staff and treat all participants in the judicial system with dignity and respect.
