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2005 California Code of Civil Procedure Sections 35-38 CHAPTER 1. COURTS OF JUSTICE IN GENERAL
CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURESECTION 35-38
35. Proceedings in cases involving the registration or denial of registration of voters, the certification or denial of certification of candidates, the certification or denial of certification of ballot measures, and election contests shall be placed on the calendar in the order of their date of filing and shall be given precedence. 36. (a) A party to a civil action who is over the age of 70 years may petition the court for a preference, which the court shall grant if the court makes all of the following findings: (1) The party has a substantial interest in the action as a whole. (2) The health of the party is such that a preference is necessary to prevent prejudicing the party's interest in the litigation. (b) A civil action to recover damages for wrongful death or personal injury shall be entitled to preference upon the motion of any party to the action who is under the age of 14 years unless the court finds that the party does not have a substantial interest in the case as a whole. A civil action subject to subdivision (a) shall be given preference over a case subject to this subdivision. (c) Unless the court otherwise orders, notice of a motion for preference shall be served with the memorandum to set or the at-issue memorandum by the party serving the memorandum, or 10 days after such service by any other party; or thereafter during the pendency of the action upon the application of a party who reaches the age of 70 years. (d) In its discretion, the court may also grant a motion for preference served with the memorandum to set or the at-issue memorandum and accompanied by clear and convincing medical documentation which concludes that one of the parties suffers from an illness or condition raising substantial medical doubt of survival of that party beyond six months, and which satisfies the court that the interests of justice will be served by granting the preference. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court may in its discretion grant a motion for preference served with the memorandum to set or the at-issue memorandum and accompanied by a showing of cause which satisfies the court that the interests of justice will be served by granting this preference. (f) Upon the granting of such a motion for preference, the clerk shall set the matter for trial not more than 120 days from that date and there shall be no continuance beyond 120 days from the granting of the motion for preference except for physical disability of a party or a party's attorney, or upon a showing of good cause stated in the record. Such a continuance shall be for no more than 15 days and no more than one continuance for physical disability may be granted to any party. (g) Upon the granting of a motion for preference pursuant to subdivision (b), a party in an action based upon a health provider's alleged professional negligence, as defined in Section 364, shall receive a trial date not sooner than six months and not later than nine months from the date that the motion is granted. 36.5. An affidavit submitted in support of a motion for preference under subdivision (a) of Section 36 may be signed by the attorney for the party seeking preference based upon information and belief as to the medical diagnosis and prognosis of any party. The affidavit is not admissible for any purpose other than a motion for preference under subdivision (a) of Section 36. 37. (a) A civil action shall be entitled to preference, if the action is one in which the plaintiff is seeking damages which were alleged to have been caused by the defendant during the commission of a felony offense for which the defendant has been criminally convicted. (b) The court shall endeavor to try the action within 120 days of the grant of preference. 38. Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, a reference in a statute to a judicial district means: (a) As it relates to a court of appeal, the court of appeal district. (b) As it relates to a superior court, the county. (c) As it relates to a municipal court, the municipal court district. (d) As it relates to a county in which there is no municipal court, the county.
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