Reeling from unprecedented budget cuts at the state level, the Stanislaus County Superior Court closed Turlock's courthouse in 2009 until "budget issues were resolved." The closure was expected to last one year, according to the Court. Nearly seven years later, the Turlock Courthouse is finally reopening.

The Superior Court will reopen the Turlock Courthouse, located at 300 Starr Ave., effective Jan. 4, 2016.

The courtroom will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays only, to hear Small Claims and Unlawful Detainer cases. The Turlock Clerk’s Office will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.

The Turlock Division will also house the newly established Records Division. This newly formed division continuously images all types of court records. The Superior Court is working toward a paperless court in all areas of law. The Court was able to reopen the Turlock Branch utilizing repurposed work stations, courtroom seating and other equipment from the Los Angeles and Yolo Superior Courts.

When the Turlock courthouse was closed, it almost exclusively dealt with traffic issues and handled about 170 cases per week. The seven clerks who worked at the Turlock branch were transferred to other divisions of the superior court in Modesto. At the same time of the Turlock branch closure, County employees took pay cuts and County offices had mandatory furlough days.