Part 1. Definitions of California Government Code >> Division 3.6. >> Title 1. >> Part 1.

(a) Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in this part govern the construction of this division.
  (b) This division may be referred to as the Government Claims Act.

"Employee" includes an officer, judicial officer as defined in Section 327 of the Elections Code, employee, or servant, whether or not compensated, but does not include an independent contractor.

"Employment" includes office or employment.

"Enactment" means a constitutional provision, statute, charter provision, ordinance or regulation.

"Injury" means death, injury to a person, damage to or loss of property, or any other injury that a person may suffer to his person, reputation, character, feelings or estate, of such nature that it would be actionable if inflicted by a private person.

"Law" includes not only enactments but also the decisional law applicable within this State as determined and declared from time to time by the courts of this State and of the United States.

"Public entity" includes the state, the Regents of the University of California, the Trustees of the California State University and the California State University, a county, city, district, public authority, public agency, and any other political subdivision or public corporation in the State.

"Public employee" means an employee of a public entity.

"Regulation" means a rule, regulation, order or standard, having the force of law, adopted by an employee or agency of the United States pursuant to the federal Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 500) of Title 5 of the United States Code) or as a regulation by an agency of the state pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2).

"Statute" means an act adopted by the Legislature of this State or by the Congress of the United States, or a statewide initiative act.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, judges, subordinate judicial officers, and court executive officers of the superior courts are state officers for purposes of Part 1 (commencing with Section 810) to Part 7 (commencing with Section 995), inclusive, and trial court employees are employees of the trial court for purposes of Part 1 (commencing with Section 810) to Part 7 (commencing with Section 995), inclusive. The Judicial Council shall provide for representation, defense, and indemnification of those individuals and the court pursuant to Part 1 (commencing with Section 810) to Part 7 (commencing with Section 995), inclusive. The Judicial Council shall provide for that representation or defense through the county counsel, the Attorney General, or other counsel. The county counsel and the Attorney General may, but are not required to, provide representation or defense for the Judicial Council. The fact that a justice, judge, subordinate judicial officer, court executive officer, court employee, the court, the Judicial Council, or the Administrative Office of the Courts is or was represented or defended by the county counsel, the Attorney General, or other counsel shall not be the sole basis for a judicial determination of disqualification of a justice, judge, subordinate judicial officer, the county counsel, the Attorney General, or other counsel in unrelated actions.
  (b) To promote the cost-effective, prompt, and fair resolution of actions, proceedings, and claims affecting the trial courts, the Judicial Council shall adopt rules of court requiring the Administrative Office of the Courts to manage actions, proceedings, and claims that affect the trial courts and involve superior courts, superior court judges, subordinate judicial officers, court executive officers, or trial court employees in consultation with the affected courts and individuals. The Administrative Office of the Courts' management of these actions, proceedings, and claims shall include, but not be limited to, case management and administrative responsibilities such as selection of counsel and making strategic and settlement decisions.
  (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the employment status of subordinate judicial officers, court executive officers, and trial court employees related to any matters not covered by subdivision (a).