A hearing on Providence St. Joseph Hospital’s request to dismiss large portions of a lawsuit the California Attorney General’s Office filed last year alleging the Catholic-based provider violated state laws by denying a local woman emergency abortion care is set for Feb. 14 in Humboldt County Superior Court. In filings this week, the AG’s Office […]
Humboldt County Superior Court
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Judge Approves Restraining Order for Former Councilmember Watson
A Humboldt County Superior Court judge has issued a workplace violence restraining order for former Arcata City Councilmember Brett Watson that restricts him from contacting, being near or entering the workplace of four city officials, among other requirements. Filed by Judge Timothy Canning on Friday, after several days of hearings earlier this month and last […]
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John Edward Buffington: 1941-2021
John Edward Buffington passed away peacefully in Austin, Texas, on July 23, at the age of 80. He was preceded in death by his parents John and Blythe Buffington and is survived by his wife Georgia Willis Buffington of Austin, Texas. He is also survived by his three sons Peter (Mona), Andrew, and Justin (Jillian) […]
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COVID-19 Screenings Now Required for In-Person Court Appearances
The Humboldt County Superior Court announced Friday that all people attending in-person court proceedings will be required to complete a daily COVID-19 screening before being allowed into a courtroom. The court recently announced that with the rapidly rising number of positive COVID-19 cases, all criminal jury trials scheduled between Dec. 8, 2020 and Jan. 19, […]
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Local Municipal Buildings Closing and Reducing Hours Due to COVID-19 Cases Increases
Rio Dell City Hall and the Humboldt County Superior Court clerk’s office lobby are reducing their hours and closing in-person services due to the county’s increases in COVID-19 cases. Beginning on Monday, Dec. 14, Rio Dell City Hall will be reducing its hours for bill pay and other over‐the‐counter services. The new hours are 9:00 a.m. […]
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Superior Court to Resume In-person Felony Arraignments Next Week
The Humboldt County Superior Court will resume holding arraignments for defendants who are out of custody but facing felony charges beginning June 15. Such appearances have been suspended for weeks in the midst of restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the court has apparently begun sending out appearance notices to […]
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Superior Court to Allow Judges, Others Not to Wear Masks
Yesterday, the Humboldt County Superior Court issued a new mask policy that allows judges and “individual addressing the Court” not to wear one. While the Court acknowledged that the Humboldt County Public Health Officer has ordered that facial coverings should be worn inside all public buildings, the court’s new order states, “However, the Administration of […]
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Superior Court Announces Sweeping COVID-19 Changes
The Humboldt County Superior Court just announced sweeping changes that will effectively reschedule the bulk of local cases to future dates, while live-streaming essential proceedings open to the public, in effort to keep everyone safe through the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the court is rescheduling all small claims and traffic cases, as well as all civil […]
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Humboldt County Superior Court Looks to Suspend Operations Amid State of Emergency
Pending the approval of California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the Humboldt County Superior Court has announced it will suspend operations for the rest of the week in the face of the state of emergency spurred by the COVID-19 virus. Then, beginning March 20 and extending at least 30 days, the court will look […]
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No Need to Report for Jury Duty Today
The Humboldt County Superior Court has announced that residents previously directed to report for jury duty today should not appear as their “appearance is cancelled.” Those with jury summons are asked to call 269-1270 after 5 p.m. today for further reporting information or to log into the jury portal at here. See the full press […]
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Before the $4.7 Billion Baby Powder Verdict, There Was One in Humboldt
By now, you’ve probably heard about Reuters’ investigative bombshell showing that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that its baby powder contained asbestos while the company publicly insisted on the “safety and purity” of its iconic product. If this is news to you, check out the story here, which relies on scores of interviews and […]
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Goldberg Gets 15 to Life
After hearing emotional statements from Tim Smith’s family members and friends, visiting Judge Graham Cribbs sentenced Jon David Goldberg to 15 years to life in prison Oct. 19 for the Fortuna volunteer firefighter’s murder but struck down a firearm enhancement that would have added 25 years to his term. The judge handed down his decision […]