Kings County Superior Court
The Superior Court of California, County of Kings, also known as the Kings County Superior Court or Kings Superior Court, is the branch of the California superior court with jurisdiction over Kings County. History Kings County was partitioned from Tulare County in 1893; the county seat was established at Hanford. Court was initially held in a space leased in the local opera house; the superior court was moved to the second floor (over the jail) alongside the sheriff's office at West Sixth and Irwin. The first Superior Court judge elected was Justin Jacobs, in the election of May 23, 1893. Judge Jacobs won re-election in 1894 and served until his death on September 18, 1898; he was succeeded by M.L. Short, who won his re-election campaign in 1890. Judge Short was succeeded by John G. Covert in 1906, who won his race by six votes. A new county courthouse was authorized in 1896; the construction contract was awarded to John Haggerty on May 13, 1896, for $26,364. The architect responsible was William H. Wilcox. An addition completed in 1914 was built by Trewhitt-Shields to a design by J. Carl Thayer & Henri Dorlot. Venues The original 1896 courthouse was expanded