San Bernardino County's 'RV court' brings justice services to residents in remote areas

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- In San Bernardino County, justice is served in a parking lot, along with child support services, job opportunities and even medical care.

"When we talk about equitable access, we mean it," said Thomas Sone, a public defender for the county. "So if you can't come to us we're going to come to you."

During the pandemic, San Bernardino County saw that video court appearances could work, which inspired the effort to take court to the people who are dealing with low level criminal offenses.

Most clients pre-register to appear before a judge made available through collaboration with the Superior Court, but walk-up opportunities are also open for those wanting to change the direction of their life.

"I had no way to catch up," said Allandra Gibson, who spoke with Eyewitness News after appearing before a judge. "Now I feel like I can start working and continue where I left off. Oh my God, it's just ... it's incredible."

The vastness of San Bernardino County can make it difficult for some people to simply appear in court, but if they don't show up, even for a minor offense, it can become an overwhelming legal mess.

"Let's just take a normal traffic ticket, for example," said Sone. "You don't come to court, a warrant can get issued for you. You can end up losing your license, you might get arrested on that warrant, the fines will double, civil assessments will be assessed and now you're talking about a downward spiral."

There are four criminal court buildings to cover over 20,000 square miles of the county. So if an offense occurs in Barstow, the nearest criminal court is in Victorville - 35 miles away.

To tackle that challenge, the county now schedules what's known as RV Court once every six weeks at various locations. On one afternoon, it was held at the Barstow Church of God in Christ.

"You're talking about a two-hour, three-hour drive just to get to the nearest courthouse, so it's a challenge, and a lot of times for our clients, it's not that they're not responsible or they don't want to take care of their business, but they don't have the means to," said Sone.

People like J Martinez knows that.

"I wouldn't have been able to make it, so it's amazing that they are able to provide this kind of service."

These court events had limited success in the past, but by partnering with other organizations like the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, the popularity took off.

"You could probably get an appointment quicker with us than you could with your provider just because our turnaround is every six weeks, so we can see you quicker than you would with your own primary care physician," said Jeannae Brooks with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.

Clearing 80 to 100 cases in an afternoon will change lives immediately, but by also clearing an abundance of work from the court calendar, Sone adds these events could be a blueprint other counties want to follow.

"I think this can be duplicated in any county, in any state that has large counties, remote areas. I think it's a great opportunity," he said.