--- title: "Craig S. Barnes | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/craig-s-barnes" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Craig S. Barnes Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles · Superior Court Judge ## Profile - Court: Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles - State: California - Role: Superior Court Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-28 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, 2018-present - Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, appointed in 2018, with a background in catastrophic loss and complex litigation law - In 2018, after Sedgwick’s dissolution, he joined Clyde & Co as a partner. - From 1985 to 2017, Barnes was with Sedgwick LLP in Los Angeles, rising from associate to managing partner ### Education - University of California-Los Angeles — J.D. - Master in City Planning Degree (M.C.P.) — Massachusetts Institute of Technology - CUNY Hunter College — B.A. ### Additional information - Complex business, product liability, and general tort matters He tried over 25 cases to verdict. - Brain injury and major injury litigation - Catastrophic loss and historic abuse cases - Barnes has served on the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Diversity in the Profession subcommittee, the California Minority Counsel Program, and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. - He is also active with the Posse Foundation, SAGE, and Summer Associate Girls Inc. - Externship. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### small claims digital evidence Scope: courtwide For Los Angeles Small Claims matters, the court provides a system to upload, exchange, view, and present evidence for a hearing. Evidence excerpt: allows Small Claims litigants to upload, share, view, and present evidence for a specific hearing [Los Angeles Superior Court Digital Evidence System](https://www.lacourt.org/digitalevidence/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### small claims evidence exchange Scope: courtwide Los Angeles Small Claims parties must upload evidence and share it with other parties at least ten days before the hearing. Evidence excerpt: Upload their evidence to the Court's Digital Evidence System (DES) ... at least ten (10) days prior to the scheduled hearing date and share the evidence with the other party or parties [Second Amended Standing Order re Evidence Exchange, 2024-SJ-006-00](https://lascpubstorage.blob.core.windows.net/cpw/LIBOPSSmallClaims-21-2024-SJ-006-00-2ndAmendedStandingOrderReEvidenceExchange.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### audiovisual evidence Scope: statewide A party offering an electronic sound or sound-and-video recording must provide the court and opposing parties a transcript and provide opposing parties a duplicate of the recording. Evidence excerpt: the party must provide to the court and to opposing parties a transcript of the electronic recording and provide opposing parties with a duplicate of the electronic recording [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote proceedings Scope: statewide California courts should permit remote participation in covered civil proceedings, subject to the statute, local rules, and controlling orders. Evidence excerpt: courts should permit parties to appear remotely at conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases consistent with Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75 [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote participants and witnesses Scope: statewide Covered civil parties and witnesses may appear remotely, and the court may conduct proceedings in whole or in part using remote technology. Evidence excerpt: that party or witness may appear remotely and the court may conduct conferences, hearings, and proceedings, in whole or in part, through the use of remote technology [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording and broadcasting Scope: statewide Court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast except as Rule 1.150 permits. Evidence excerpt: Except as provided in this rule, court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast. [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### expedited jury trial presentations Scope: statewide In expedited jury trials, parties may use slides, electronic presentations, projections, exhibit notebooks, and other methods approved at the pretrial conference. Evidence excerpt: the parties may present summaries and may use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, individual notebooks of exhibits for submission to the jurors, or other innovative methods of presentation approved at the pretrial conference [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### expedited jury trial pretrial agreements Scope: statewide Voluntary expedited jury trial submissions must identify party agreements concerning electronic presentations and other proposed presentation methods. Evidence excerpt: Any agreements of the parties to use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, notebooks of exhibits, or other methods of presenting information to the jury [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### exhibit admission Scope: statewide An exhibit must be admitted by the judge before it may be used in the case. Evidence excerpt: The judge must to allow you to admit the exhibit as evidence in order for you to use it in your case. [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [Official roster](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [Judicial Branch of California official judicial roster](https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/14295/craig-s-barnes/) - [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040) - [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672) - [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP) - [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150) - [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551) - [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548) - [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial) - [Los Angeles Superior Court Digital Evidence System](https://www.lacourt.org/digitalevidence/) - [Second Amended Standing Order re Evidence Exchange, 2024-SJ-006-00](https://lascpubstorage.blob.core.windows.net/cpw/LIBOPSSmallClaims-21-2024-SJ-006-00-2ndAmendedStandingOrderReEvidenceExchange.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/14295/craig-s-barnes/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/craig-s-barnes", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/craig-s-barnes", "name": "Craig S. Barnes | KnowJudges", "description": "Craig S. Barnes, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/craig-s-barnes#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/craig-s-barnes#judge", "name": "Craig S. Barnes", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/craig-s-barnes", "jobTitle": "Superior Court Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles" }, "sameAs": [ "https://courts.ca.gov/courts/superior-courts/judges-roster", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/14295/craig-s-barnes/" ], "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of California-Los Angeles" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Massachusetts Institute of Technology" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "CUNY Hunter College" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "California", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/california" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Craig S. Barnes", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/craig-s-barnes" } ] } ] } ``` ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [California Trial Court Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-9f680f8d47ee26f7ea1a6bce) — Applicable trial-court proceedings; individual rules may be limited to civil, criminal or other case types. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-2.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Civil Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-b2d4d123885851a5fcca88dd) — Civil proceedings; Rule 3.10 and specialized-case exclusions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-3_3.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Criminal Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-f6b70a7925331d01ac4f3da8) — Criminal proceedings only. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-4.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Family and Juvenile Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-b35daaa50a3da8133dcea76d) — Family and juvenile proceedings only; a general Superior Court assignment does not establish a personal family/juvenile assignment. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-5_3.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Probate Rules and Mental Health Rules](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-7c869f3fd279fe758c2d41be) — Probate and mental health proceedings only; a general Superior Court assignment does not establish a personal probate assignment. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files?file=file/roc-title-7.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-cece5afa480bc6cbddca965c) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040). Collected 2026-07-26. - [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-e40ba2699f4d3d815dac46ca) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP). Collected 2026-07-26. - [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-e59897426ff892cfcd8e0103) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150). Collected 2026-07-26.