| Santa Clara County Superior Court | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Court | |
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| Jurisdiction | California Santa Clara County |
| Composition method | Non-partisan election |
| Authorised by | Constitution of California |
| Appeals to | California Court of Appeal 6th Appellate District |
| Website | www.scscourt.org |
| Presiding Judge | |
| Currently | Hon. Theodore C. Zayner |
The Superior Court of California for and in the County of Santa Clara is the state trial court in and for Santa Clara County, California.
San Jose was chosen as the initial site for the state's capitol in 1849, which it held until 1851, when legislators voted to move to Vallejo. [1] After Santa Clara County was formed on April 25, 1851, a contest was held to select a design for a new building worthy of being a state capitol in 1860. The winning entry, designed by Levi Goodrich, was constructed from 1866 to 1868 at a cost of US$173,737.96(equivalent to $3,980,000 in 2023). [2]
The courthouse was destroyed by fire in May 1931. [3] [4] [5] Reconstruction work began in December 1931 [6] and completed in August 1932; [7] a dedication ceremony for the reconstructed courthouse was held on September 17. [8] As originally completed in 1868, the courthouse was topped by a copper-covered dome; the copper sheathing melted in the intense heat from the 1931 fire and the dome was removed during reconstruction. [9] After the disastrous 1931 fire and rebuilding, it survives today as the Old Courthouse, [10] which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the St. James Square National Historic District in 1979. [11]
A modern courthouse was completed in 1964, replacing an older Hall of Records which had been built adjacent to the county courthouse. The Hall of Justice, located a few blocks to the north, was completed in 1991. [12] The Family Justice Center was completed in 2016, consolidating court operations from six different facilities in a single building. [13]
The doctrine of corporate personhood in US law is commonly traced to the 1886 decision of the United States Supreme Court in Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad , which started in this court.
The Court serves the Incorporated Cities, Towns & Census Designated Places of Santa Clara County. (Incorporated Cities and or Towns are marked with an asterisk (*).)
The following judicial officers serve on the Superior Court of California, Santa Clara County, as of June 2019:
