The evacuation order for a court facility will be made by the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles, absent exigent. In all cases, the Area Lieutenant and Unit Commander shall be notified as soon as possible when the need to evacuate has been determined. In most situations, if the evacuation is due to a threat against the facility or occupants, inmates will not be evacuated. All inmates will be locked down in a secure location. If the situation has escalated and inmates have to be evacuated immediately, the Branch Supervisor will contact the local law enforcement agency for immediate assistance in moving and securing inmates. All inmates will be handcuffed or chained prior to movement. An immediate notification to Court Services Transportation (CST) will be made to request sufficient buses to house or relocate inmates.
If it is the Sheriff’s Department that determines that the building should be closed due to damage, danger to occupants, or if the building systems are inoperable, all remanded inmates will be returned to Custody Division, when possible. All pre-arraigned inmates shall be returned to the arresting agency.