Emergency rule 10(a) and CCP 583.350 are complimentary and this would be a center of attention for the next couple of years.

n the case of Marcelina Barron v. Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority, the court clarified that emergency rule 10(a) extended the statutory five-year period for bringing a case to trial by an additional six months. This means the new deadline to bring the case to trial became five years and six months from the date the case was filed.

The rule does not provide for two six-month extensions; it only provides for a single six-month extension. Therefore, under emergency rule 10(a), the total time allowed to bring a civil action to trial for cases filed before April 6, 2020, is five years and six months, not six years. The rule was specifically designed to accommodate delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on court operations, allowing a bit more time for cases to be brought to trial.