Fast track

Case management aimed at moving civil cases along to a decision without unnecessary delay.

It is the reason a court will chase your case whether or not either side wants it chased. This is general information, not legal advice.

What it means

California's trial court delay reduction legislation puts responsibility for the pace of litigation on judges rather than leaving it to the parties. Judges are to eliminate delay in the progress and ultimate resolution of litigation, and to assume and maintain control over the pace of it.

"Fast track" is the shorthand practitioners use for the resulting regime of case management dates, and it varies between courts. Los Angeles also uses the phrase for a specific voluntary programme offering an early bench trial in personal injury cases.

The general point is worth holding onto: delay is not neutral, and the system is at least formally designed to resist it — even though cases still take years.

Where this is dealt with properly

This entry is the short answer. These pages own the subject.

• Why cases sit for years
• How long a California injury claim takes

Common questions

If the court is supposed to prevent delay, why do cases take years?

Because the duty sits against real constraints — court backlog, discovery, expert availability, continuances. The rule shapes the calendar rather than removing the wait.

Sources: Gov. Code, § 68607 (Trial Court Delay Reduction Act — judges to eliminate delay and control the pace of litigation); Code Civ. Proc., § 583.310 (an action must be brought to trial within five years).