Section 70217 Of Article 2. Transitional Provisions For Unification From California Government Code >> Title 8. >> Chapter 5.1. >> Article 2.
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. On unification of the municipal and superior courts in a
county, until adoption of a statewide structure for trial court
employees, officers, and other personnel by the Legislature:
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law contained in this
title, upon unification, previously selected officers, employees, and
other personnel who serve the courts shall become the officers,
employees, and other personnel of the unified superior court at their
existing or equivalent classifications, and with their existing
salaries, economic and noneconomic benefits and other existing terms
and conditions of employment that include, but are not limited to,
accrued and unused vacation, sick leave, personal leave, health and
pension plans, civil service or merit system coverage, and other
systems that provide similar employment protections. The status,
position, and rights of such persons shall not be affected by the
unification and shall be retained by them as officers, employees, and
other personnel of the unified superior court. This provision shall
be retroactive to the date of unification and shall supersede any
other provision of law governing at-will employment or exemption from
civil service coverage applicable to these employees. It is the
intent of the Legislature to ensure that officers, employees, and
other personnel of the superior court do not lose employment
protections to which they were entitled when unification took effect
as a result of unification.
(b) Permanent employees of the municipal and superior courts on
the effective date of unification shall be deemed qualified, and no
other qualifications shall be required for employment or retention.
Probationary employees on the effective date of unification shall
retain their probationary status and rights, and shall not be deemed
to have transferred so as to require serving a new probationary
period.
(c) Employment seniority of an employee of the municipal or
superior courts on the effective date of unification shall be counted
toward seniority in the unified superior court, and all time spent
in the same, equivalent, or higher classification shall be counted
toward classification seniority.
(d) No officer or employee with peace officer status shall lose
that status as a result of unification, and any officer or employee
authorized to perform notice and process services or court security
services in the municipal court is authorized to perform those
services in the unified superior court.