Cyberattack keeps courts in LA County closed for another day. That’s the situation

Los Angeles County courts are scheduled to reopen Tuesday after a cyberattack paralyzed the nation’s largest court system, despite work to repair the damage throughout the weekend.

Late Monday afternoon, court officials announced that all 36 courthouses would resume operations thanks to the “tireless work of court staff and security experts.”

However, some court functions are still restricted and people are warned to expect delays.

Why it is important

The attack, discovered early Friday morning, forced the shutdown of nearly all network systems, from the jury portal to the court’s website.

In a statement released late Sunday, Chief Judge Samantha Jessner called the attack “unprecedented.”

How bad is it?

The message appeared on many pages of the lacourt.org website after a cyberattack paralyzed the court’s systems.

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Screenshot courtesy of lacourt.org

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The closure order issued on Sunday states: “Every electronic platform containing court data has been made inaccessible, as have every device connected to the Internet, including the court’s telephone systems.”

How things stand

If you have been called to serve on jury duty, you can check here any time after 6:00 p.m. on Monday to find out if you need to report, which courthouse you need to go to, and what time you need to be there.

Court officials initially thought Friday’s outage was due to a widespread, worldwide technology failure that had disrupted travel as well as hotels, hospitals and other businesses.

Later Friday, court officials said they had determined that a ransomware attack was the cause. In a statement, court officials said:

On Sunday evening, Jessner said they needed more time to contain the damage, protect the integrity of the court and ensure confidentiality, meaning all 36 courthouses will be closed on Monday.

“While the court continues to move rapidly toward a recovery and restoration phase, many critical systems remained offline as of Sunday evening,” she wrote. “An additional day will allow the court’s team of experts to focus exclusively on bringing our systems back online so the court can resume operations as quickly, smoothly and safely as possible.”

What or who caused it?

No word yet from authorities. Friday’s statement on the attack said court officials were “working diligently with authorities to investigate the breach and mitigate its impact.” They said they would “share further information as it becomes available.”

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are investigating the breach along with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Ripple effects

Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said anyone who has already been sentenced and is scheduled to be released Monday will still be released. That does not include eviction or move-out orders, which will be lifted.

According to the closure order, Monday is considered a “court holiday”, which effectively extends all deadlines by one day.

Court officials said in a statement Friday that there was “no evidence that court users’ data was compromised.”

What’s next

Court officials are expected to provide further information on what procedures and services will be available Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the Sheriff’s Department said officers “will be present at the county courthouses to assist the public with any questions or concerns.”

We will keep you updated with news.