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Fraud Alert: Scam Text Messages Claiming DMV Penalties -

We have been made aware of fraudulent text messages being sent to individuals claiming to be from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or the court system. These messages often state that the recipient owes penalties or fees related to traffic violations or DMV infractions and may include a link or phone number to resolve the matter. 

Take these steps to reduce the chances of falling victim to a text message scam:

  • Never respond to unsolicited or suspicious texts — If you receive a message asking for personal or financial information, do not reply.
  • Verify the source — If you are unsure, always contact the DMV through official channels.
  • Call the DMV if you have concerns — The DMV customer service team is available to help you at 800-777-0133.

Please see DMV warning about fraudulent texts: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-and-media/dmv-warns-of-fraudulent-te…

Jury Scam alert -

The Santa Barbara Superior Court has received complaints about individuals trying to scam members of the public by pretending to be court officers or officials. The Jury Services office of the Santa Barbara Superior Court does not call citizens to request payments for failing to appear for jury duty. California law does not permit citizens to pay a fine in lieu of jury duty. If you receive such a call simply hang up and, if the scammer persists, call your local law enforcement agency. Learn more about the recent scam warning.

Notice to Jurors:

Prospective jurors summoned for jury service can expect to receive their jury summons in postcard form. Please check your mail for a postcard with important instructions to fulfil your jury service. Visit the Jury Services page for more information.

Judge Kay Kuns

After graduating from the University of San Diego Law School in 1976, Judge. Kuns served as a criminal prosecutor for 2 ½ years in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.  In 1980, she moved to the Santa Ynez Valley and established a private law practice, engaging in both criminal and civil litigation. In November 2008, she was appointed to the Superior Court Bench by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  She currently presides over the Drug Court and Mental Health Court calendars in Department 3 in Santa Maria.

Over the past thirty years she has worked extensively as a volunteer, primarily with youth.  In the 1980s, she was an adult advisor for the YMCA’s Youth & Government Program.  For 18 years she volunteered her time as a legal coach for the Santa Ynez High School Mock Trial Program.  Since her appointment to the bench, she has continued to work with the Santa Barbara County High School Mock Trial Competition, now sitting as a judge during competitive rounds.  Over the past 15 years, Judge.Kuns has also volunteered her time as a judge in the Santa Barbara County Teen Court Program. 

From 2004 through 2008, Judge Kuns served on the international Board of Trustees for People to People International, an organization founded by President Eisenhower to bring people from different cultures and countries together through cultural and educational exchange and humanitarian projects.  She traveled as an adult leader for PTPI student programs to Russia and Eastern Europe, and was an adult advisor at five Global Youth Forums.  She has also traveled as an adult delegate for People to People International to Cuba, Egypt, and Eastern Europe.  In 2013, she traveled to Calcutta, India, to visit a girls’ school (PACE Universal) that educates young girls who would otherwise be at high risk for prostitution or trafficking.

Judge. Kuns grew up on ranches in Colorado and New Mexico, and received her undergraduate degree at UC San Diego.  She is the mother of twin daughters.

Judge Kuns presides over Dept. SM5 in the Santa Maria Miller Division.

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