26671-26672
GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 26671-26672
26671. This article shall apply only to a county of the 17th class. It shall be known as the Santa Barbara County Court Services Consolidation Act of 1996. 26671.1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Board of Supervisors of Santa Barbara County may, by ordinance, abolish the office of Marshal of Santa Barbara County and the Santa Barbara County Marshal's Office and consolidate the services and personnel of the Santa Barbara County Marshal into the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department. Upon the effective date of that consolidation ordinance, there shall be established within the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department a unit designated as the court services division. The Sheriff of Santa Barbara County shall be responsible for the management and operation of that unit, in accordance with this article. 26671.2. (a) All persons who, immediately preceding the effective date of abolition of the marshal's office, are assigned to the marshal's office in management, administrative, supervisory, peace officer, clerical, and other positions shall, on the effective date of the abolition, be assigned to the sheriff's department in the same classification, or if such classifications are not within the department, a comparable classification; and no probationary or permanent employee shall be laid off as a result of the implementation of the abolition and consolidation. (b) No personnel of the marshal's office shall be reduced in rank or salary, otherwise be demoted, or lose peace officer status. Upon abolition and consolidation, all county service of personnel assigned to the marshal's office shall be counted toward county seniority. (c) Clerical personnel described in subdivision (a) shall become members of the court services division and shall not be involuntarily transferred from the court services division to any other division within the sheriff's department. (d) The incumbent marshal shall be assigned to the classification of sheriff's commander and shall be in charge of the court services division. One assistant marshal shall be assigned to the classification of sheriff's lieutenant and shall be assigned to the court services division. The remaining assistant marshal position shall be reclassified. Deputy marshals performing bailiff functions shall be assigned to an equivalent classification in the court services division and those deputy marshals shall not be involuntarily transferred from the court services division to any other division within the sheriff's department. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the incumbent marshal, upon consolidation, shall be reinstated as a member of the Santa Barbara County Employees' Retirement System, and by the board of supervisor's adoption of an ordinance abolishing the office of marshal and consolidating the offices of sheriff and marshal, Section 31680.7 relating to reemployment after retirement shall be applicable to the incumbent marshal. (f) Personnel of the marshal's office shall be entitled to request assignment to other divisions within the sheriff's department which requests will be reviewed as any other such request in the department. Acceptance of a voluntary transfer by a deputy marshal shall invalidate any right of reassignment to the court services division. Any personnel action pursuant to this section shall be in accordance with the personnel policies, memoranda of understanding, and rules and procedures of the sheriff's department and Santa Barbara County. (g) No provision of this section shall be deemed to restrict the authority of the sheriff to discipline any employee in accordance with county personnel policies, and memoranda of understanding, or rules and procedures otherwise applicable, and except as otherwise expressly provided in this section, the discretion of the sheriff to assign, promote, direct, and control employees formerly assigned to the marshal's office shall not be deemed in any manner restricted by virtue of the abolition or consolidation. 26671.4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon consolidation the sheriff shall provide to the superior court within Santa Barbara County the following services: (a) Court security services, including prisoner transportation services, prisoner escort services, bailiff services, courthouse and other security services, and the execution of court orders and bench warrants requiring the immediate presence in court of a defendant or witness. (b) Notice and process services, including service of summons, subpoenas, warrants, and other civil and criminal process. 26671.5. (a) The sheriff shall provide, within the limits of the resources at his or her disposal, those services enumerated in Section 26671.4, to the superior court of at least as high a quality as were provided preceding the abolition and consolidation. In no event shall the resources committed to those services be less than necessary for the proper functioning of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. (b) Upon the effective date of consolidation, the regular assignment of bailiffs to individual courtrooms shall be made by the commander of the court services division with the concurrence of the individual judicial officer in whose courtroom the assignment is to be made. 26671.6. (a) Effective upon consolidation, there shall be created a Court Services Oversight Committee consisting of the presiding judge of the superior court and one judge to be selected by the sheriff. (b) Members of the Court Services Oversight Committee shall serve for a term of two years, or as otherwise designated by the appointing authorities. (c) The duties of the Court Services Oversight Committee shall be those prescribed by this article. 26671.7. (a) The Court Services Oversight Committee shall advise the sheriff concerning the operations of the courts services division, including, but not limited to, those services enumerated in Section 26671.4, shall make recommendations to the sheriff concerning policies and procedures affecting the operations of the court services division, and shall review court security plans and measures affecting the operations of the court services division and make such recommendations to the sheriff as the committee deems appropriate. (b) The sheriff shall consult with the Court Services Oversight Committee before regularly assigning newly hired personnel or transferring personnel into the court services division. 26671.8. Nothing in this article shall be deemed in any manner to limit or otherwise impair the legal power vested by other laws in the superior court within Santa Barbara County to secure proper provision of court-related services. 26672. (a) This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018, and as of that date is repealed unless a later enacted statute, which is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date. (b) The repeal of this article does not affect any right or benefit to which a person was entitled on the date of repeal.