The Assembly Judiciary Committee predates California's admission into the Union, to the would-be State's first Constitutional Convention of 1849, held in San Jose. The series described throughout this record group include Bill Files (1967-2006), Hearing Files (1849-1995), Subject Files (1931-1996), Correspondence (1953-1988), Minutes (1863-1885), and Reports (1852-1983). The Assembly Judiciary Committee records also include the records of many subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Administration of Justice, the Subcommittee on Adoptions, the Subcommittee on Capital Punishment, the Subcommittee on Civil Law and Procedure, the Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, the Subcommittee on Criminal Law and Procedure, the Subcommittee on Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court Matters, the Subcommittee on Emergency Use of Party Telephone Lines, the Subcommittee on Escheat, the Subcommittee on Illegal Searches, Seizures, and the Laws of Arrest, the Subcommittee on Long Beach Tidelands, the Subcommittee on Marketing and Trade Practices, the Subcommittee on Narcotics, the Subcommittee on Police Administration, the Subcommittee on Pornographic Literature, the Subcommittee on Rackets, the Subcommittee on Real Estate Contracts and Trust Deeds, the Subcommittee on Right of Privacy, and the Subcommittee on Uniform Acts.

The history of the Assembly Judiciary Committee predates California's admission into the Union, to the would-be State's first Constitutional Convention of 1849, held in San Jose. On Tuesday, December 18, 1849, the third standing committee of the House to be created was that of Judiciary (1849 Senate Journal, page 580). While the exact jurisdiction of this initial body is unclear, the Judiciary Committee seems to have had a broad legislative scope, including hearings on anything from the organization of district courts to protecting ornamental trees. While the new legislature set about establishing a new government, California officially became the 31st state of the United States of America on September 9, 1850. To better understand the various changes in name and scope of this committee, it may be helpful to summarize the changes in the structure of legislative sessions.

161.5 cubic feet of textual materials, audio/visual materials and photographs.

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Collection is open for research.