Hi folks: If you are visiting my web site, you probably have a bunch of questions about the backlog of cases pending a hearing.  Well, I think we can see some positive changes coming up this summer!

If you are in the West Kern area and have a hearing pending in Bakersfield, you may be surprised to hear that your case has been assigned to a Judge in San Francisco.  That’s actually good news.  The Fresno hearing office is our closest office and has been handling the Bakersfield cases at a remote site for years.  The backlog has been getting bigger, so the smart people in Fresno decided to move these cases to a hearing office with less of a backlog — i.e, more judges.  So expect to get a hearing much quicker.

If you live in East Kern, Mono or Inyo County these cases are assigned to the Long Beach hearing office and are heard in person in Palmdale.  There is no change here, but it looks like we might get a larger and more efficient office in the future for the remote hearings.

If you are on the Central Coast I heard a couple of weks ago, directly for the Hearing Office Chief in Santa Barbara, that they have hired a new person to help with the backlog. I don’t know if it is another judge or Senior Attorney or support staff…but that office is very efficient and things are moving along at a good pace.  Stay tuned for more updates this Summer — Diana