The Los Angeles County Homeless Court Program was launched in 2006 by Public Counsel, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Los Angeles City Attorney, Los Angeles County District Attorney, Los Angeles County Public Defender and advocates for people experiencing homelessness.
In 2015, the Los Angeles City Attorney created the Homeless Engagement and Response Team (H.E.A.R.T.) to administer the Homeless Court for the County, expanding eligibility, increasing enrollment for participants, and establishing enrollment opportunities at homeless outreach events. With the support of Measure H funding, in 2018 the Homeless Court expanded again as a part of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ D6 Criminal Record Clearing Project. Through a partnership with the LA County Public Defender’s Office, the Homeless Court began providing expansive access to criminal record clearing services to resolve infractions and expunge past convictions.
In 2019, the Homeless Court coordinated one of the largest dismissal projects in Los Angeles’ history. Working together, the Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles Police Department, and Los Angeles County Public Defender resolved 2,023,802 criminal cases with outstanding charges and/or unpaid fines.