This decision holds that a court’s interest in regulating its workforce to ensure that the judicial process appears impartial to all appearing before it justifies the court’s rule banning employees from wearing clothing or adornments with writings or images advocating any cause, from soliciting during work hours, and from displaying or distributing literature supporting any cause during work hours in areas open to the public. However, the court’s ban on distributing literature in “work areas” is improper because it is ambiguous, not being limited to work areas open to the public. The PERB can impose remedies on a court for a violation of the state’s Public Employment Relations Act without violating the separation of powers.
California Court of Appeal, Fifth District (Hill, P.J.; Franson, J., dissenting); December 14, 2018; 30 Cal. App. 5th 158