Lodi Courtrooms To Return In January

The San Joaquin County Superior Court made deep cuts in staffing, services, and local courtrooms because of budget cuts over the last several years.

In January two courtrooms will be restored in Lodi to hear traffic cases, small claims, and some criminal matters.

Superior Court Judge David Warner says that will mean a cost saving for Lodi Police whose officers have been take off patrol so they could travel to Stockton to testify.

"When the cases are heard in Lodi, because it's a smaller facility and smaller number of cases than Stockton has, you're able to process them more quickly and get them in and out quicker, so the officer is then back out on the street."

Warner says the Lodi courts  will also serve the towns of Thornton, Acampo, Clements, and Woodbridge. He  says there are also plans to restore two courtrooms in the city of Tracy after some building restoration there.