The Judicial Council shall provide for the uniform entry, storage, and retrieval of court data relating to civil cases in superior court other than limited civil cases by means provided for in this section, in addition to any other data relating to court administration, including all of the following:

(a) The category type of civil case, such as contract or personal injury-death-property damage by motor vehicle.

Terms Used In California Government Code 68513

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(b) The time from filing of the action to settlement.

(c) The type of settlement procedure, if any, which contributed to the settlement disposition.

(d) The character and amount of any settlement made as to each party litigant, but preserving the confidentiality of such information if the settlement is not otherwise public.

(e) The character and amount of any judgments rendered by court and jury trials for comparison with settled cases.

(f) The extent to which damages prayed for compare to settlement or judgment in character and amount.

(g) The extent to which collateral sources have contributed, or will contribute, financially to satisfaction of the judgment or settlement.

Provision for the uniform entry, storage, and retrieval of court data may be by use of litigant statements or forms, if available, or by collection and analysis of statistically reliable samples.

The Judicial Council shall report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 1998, and annually thereafter on the uniform entry, storage, and retrieval of court data as provided for in this section. The Legislature shall evaluate and adjust the level of funds available to pay the costs of automating trial court recordkeeping systems, pursuant to Section 68090.8, for noncompliance with the requirements of this section.

(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 931, Sec. 240. Effective September 28, 1998.)

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