--- title: "Rafael A. Sivilla-Jones | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rafael-a-sivilla-jones" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Rafael A. Sivilla-Jones Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara · Civil Case Manager, Civil Division, Department 6 ## Profile - Court: Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara - State: California - Role: Civil Case Manager, Civil Division, Department 6 - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-28 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Rafael A. Sivilla‐Jones is a judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California, appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 3, 2021, to replace the late Hon. Edward F. Lee - Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Tennessee (1999–2001) the biographical record+1 - Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County (1992–1998) - , Judge Rafael A. Sivilla‐Jones brings over three decades of legal experience across state, federal, and specialized criminal units, combined with a strong background in public service and community engagement, to his role as a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ### Education - UCLA School of Law the biographical record — J.D. (1991) - in History, University of California, Los Angeles the biographical record — B.A. (1988) ### Additional information - His term runs until January 8, 2029 - Sworn in on October 15, 2021, in a ceremony led by Judge Johnny Gogo - Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice from 2001, later assigned to a specialized unit handling high‐technology crime investigations and prosecutions statewide from 2006 the biographical record+1. - Recent matters under his jurisdiction include commercial breach of contract cases, employment disputes, and personal injury litigation - Civil Division, Department 6 - He is registered as a Democrat - La Raza Lawyers Board - CASE union board - diversity committee - for the Santa Clara County Bar Association - Judge Sivilla‐Jones has taught internationally, among them coaching Mexican lawyers and investigators on oral trial advocacy - He is active in professional organizations and community engagement. - He enjoys reading, theater, and playing music in live bands with his wife, Jenni - In summary ## 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 ### remote appearance technology Scope: courtwide Santa Clara civil departments are transitioning from Microsoft Teams to Unicorn Digital Courtroom. The assigned department must be checked because departments may use different platforms during the migration. Evidence excerpt: some departments will adopt UDC while others will continue using Microsoft Teams [Important Updates and Information for Civil Cases](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-division/important-updates-and-information-civil-cases) Source checked: 2026-07-28 ### civil motion reservation Scope: courtwide For Santa Clara civil law-and-motion matters, the moving party must reserve a hearing date before filing and generally must file the moving papers within five business days after reservation. Evidence excerpt: Moving party must reserve a court hearing date, online or by phone, prior to filing a motion. [Important Updates and Information for Civil Cases](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-division/important-updates-and-information-civil-cases) Source checked: 2026-07-28 ### 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://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/civil/civil-div-jo-rotation-chart-2026.pdf) - [Official roster](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/civil/civil-div-jo-rotation-chart-2026.pdf) - [Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara official judicial roster](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/civil/civil-div-jo-rotation-chart-2026.pdf) - [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) - [Important Updates and Information for Civil Cases](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil-division/important-updates-and-information-civil-cases) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rafael-a-sivilla-jones", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/rafael-a-sivilla-jones", "name": "Rafael A. 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[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.