The Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse, 42011 4th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534, is the only Los Angeles Superior Court building in the court's North District, hearing criminal cases for Lancaster and Palmdale alike. A citation or notice to appear names the courthouse and the date, so check yours before you travel to Lancaster.
What does the Antelope Valley Courthouse hear?
This single North District courthouse covers eight case types, from criminal and civil matters to family law, juvenile justice, probate, small claims, traffic and unlawful detainer.
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County's own courthouse listing names civil, criminal, family law, juvenile justice, probate, small claims, traffic and unlawful detainer cases for this building, more case types than either the Pasadena or Alhambra courthouses carry. Because the current Local Rules name the Antelope Valley Courthouse as the North District's only session location, Local Rule 2.3(a)(3)'s requirement that "criminal complaints must be filed at the courthouse handling criminal matters which serves the city or unincorporated area where the offense is alleged to have occurred" leaves no other North District building to route a Lancaster or Palmdale-area case to. The firm's Los Angeles County courthouse assignment guide explains how that filing rule plays out countywide.
Finding your case and court date
The court's own case-lookup tool searches by defendant name for a flat fee, whether or not it turns up a result.
Among the court's Public Access Online Services is a "Search for Case by Defendant Name" tool for criminal cases, with Exact Match, Starts With and Sounds Like options. A name search costs $4.75 under the court's public-access fee rule, charged whether or not the search finds a match. Each search returns a list of matching case numbers with the defendant's name, the filing date and the filing location; for more about a case, the court's criminal case search page points you to its Criminal Case Summary service. Treat your own citation, notice to appear, or jail release paperwork as the first and most reliable source for both. To check whether someone is still in custody, search the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Inmate Information Center by name and date of birth, or call its custody line at (213) 473-6100; emergencies go to 911.
Arraignment and the 48-hour rule
A person held in custody must be brought before a judge within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays, with an extension when court is not in session.
Penal Code 825(a)(1) is the statute that fixes this: once someone is held in custody rather than cited and released, they must be taken before a judge "without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays." A cited and released defendant skips this timer entirely and instead goes by the date printed on their own paperwork. Subdivision (a)(2) covers what happens if that 48-hour clock would run out while nobody is sitting on the bench: the deadline stretches "to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following," so it runs through the end of that next session rather than stopping the moment it begins; a Wednesday arrest made after that day's session has ended must reach a judge by the following Friday at the latest, unless the Wednesday or the Friday is a court holiday. Once in front of a judge, Penal Code 858(a) requires being told the charge and the right to a lawyer at every later stage. Beyond arraignment, Penal Code 1382 sets the statewide trial deadlines, which run unless good cause for delay is shown and stop applying once the defendant waives time or agrees to a later date: 60 days from a felony arraignment on an indictment or information, and for a misdemeanor 30 days after arraignment or plea, whichever is later, if the defendant is in custody, or 45 days in all other cases.
Bail and release for an Antelope Valley case
Many lower-level, non-violent arrests skip cash bail altogether; where a judge does set a dollar amount, it must generally be one that is reasonably attainable for the person.
Both of the county's bail schedules, felony and misdemeanor, each effective January 1, 2026, open with its Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol rather than a price list: for many less serious, non-violent arrests, it has officers release the person on their own word, with no dollar figure attached, either right away or once booking is done. That no-cost path does not reach everything, though; anything on the Penal Code 1270.1 list, or carrying its own sentencing enhancement, falls back to the schedule's actual dollar amount or a hearing in front of a judge. Past that point, two California Supreme Court cases limit what a judge can do: In re Humphrey requires the judge to weigh what you can pay and whether non-cash conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or assure your appearance in court, while the newer In re Kowalczyk (2026) holds that in a noncapital case bail may be denied only for the offenses in California Constitution article I, section 12(b) and (c), and that money bail, when needed, must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable for the person, not just the printed schedule number. The firm's Los Angeles County criminal court guide walks through the protocol countywide, and its answer on how California bail amounts are set covers the statewide rules; the felony and misdemeanor schedules are where both the protocol and the dollar amounts actually live.
Appearing remotely instead of in person
Misdemeanor defendants who agree can handle most hearings remotely; felony defendants can waive presence to join pretrial steps by video, but trial and most sentencing stay in person.
Misdemeanor-only defendants get the most flexibility: Penal Code 977(a)(1) lets them appear through a lawyer and, once they agree, handle nearly every proceeding except an actual jury or court trial over video, with two carve-outs, a misdemeanor domestic violence case (arraignment and sentencing need the person there) and a misdemeanor DUI case (where a judge can order the same). Felony defendants get the opposite default under Penal Code 977(b)(1): physical presence at arraignment, plea, the preliminary hearing, the evidence phase of trial, and sentencing, unless that presence requirement is waived under subdivision (c); even with a waiver, Penal Code 977(c)(1)(D) bars a remote appearance at a jury or court trial, apart from its narrow exception for noncritical portions of a felony trial, and 977(c)(1)(E) provides that a felony defendant shall not appear remotely at sentencing, except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law. This building was one of the first eight the Superior Court's own rollout notice names for the switch to LACourtConnect, on June 2, 2025, and wherever a remote appearance is actually permitted, the platform itself runs on Microsoft Teams through the court's welcome page, no registration needed ahead of time.
Getting to the courthouse: hours, parking and entry
Unlike some other Los Angeles Superior Court buildings, parking here is free, though every visitor still goes through security screening.
On weekdays other than court holidays, the court's record gives building hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Clerk's Office hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The court's own listing states that free public parking is available on the south and east sides of the courthouse. Under Local Rule 2.29, every person entering any Los Angeles Superior Court building is screened for weapons and other prohibited items by court security, and refusing a lawful screening order is grounds for being denied entry.
Who handles an Antelope Valley criminal case?
The courthouse keeps on-site Public Defender, Alternate Public Defender, District Attorney and Probation offices, and the County District Attorney prosecutes both felonies and misdemeanors here.
Asking the judge to appoint counsel at arraignment is enough to trigger Penal Code 987's requirement that the court do so if you cannot afford a lawyer, and Government Code 27706(a) bars charging you for that representation. Four offices sit inside this building: the Public Defender on the second floor at (661) 974-7400, the Alternate Public Defender on the first floor at (661) 974-7484, the District Attorney spread across the third and fourth floors at (661) 974-7700, and Probation on the first floor at (661) 974-7600. The County District Attorney's own office FAQ says the office prosecutes felonies countywide and misdemeanors in unincorporated areas and in every city except ten it names; Lancaster and Palmdale are not among the ten, so the District Attorney prosecutes both felonies and misdemeanors from those cities. For a side-by-side look at the difference between a public defender and a private attorney, the firm has a separate answer. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley also keeps an office in Lancaster; see the firm's Lancaster office page for its current address, phone and map.
What if I miss a court date?
Missing a court date can bring a bench warrant, and a willful no-show meant to evade the court can become a separate crime.
A bench warrant may follow under Penal Code 978.5 when someone fails to show up as the law requires, such as after release on bail or on their own recognizance. After a signed citation with no bail posted, Penal Code 853.8 says the magistrate "shall issue" an arrest warrant within 20 days after the missed date, and Penal Code 853.7 makes willfully breaking that written promise a misdemeanor of its own, whatever happens to the original charge. Where the no-show was willful and meant to evade the court, the law treats it as its own crime: Penal Code 1320 for someone who was out on their own recognizance, scaled to match the original case, and Penal Code 1320.5 for someone out on bail in a felony case. If a warrant has already issued, the firm explains what to do about a California bench warrant and the ways to clear one.
Talk to a lawyer about an Antelope Valley case
If you or a family member has a criminal matter tied to the Antelope Valley Courthouse, talk to a lawyer before the court date. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, available 24 hours a day, with payment plans and service in Spanish. Call (800) 755-5174 or request a free consultation online. See also the firm's Lancaster criminal defense and Lancaster DUI pages.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Palmdale arrest go to the Antelope Valley Courthouse too?
Yes. The current Local Rules name this courthouse as the only session location in the North District, so a criminal case from anywhere in that district, including Palmdale, is filed here.
Is parking free at the Antelope Valley Courthouse?
Yes. The court's own listing says free public parking is available on the south and east sides of the courthouse.
Does every arrest in Lancaster require posting cash bail?
No. The court's Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol sets zero-dollar bail for many lower-level, non-violent offenses. Penal Code 1270.1 offenses and cases with a sentencing enhancement need posted bail or a hearing, and the offenses the protocol marks ineligible, including capital crimes when the facts are evident or the presumption great, get no release before arraignment.
Who prosecutes a misdemeanor arrest in Lancaster?
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Its own FAQ says it prosecutes misdemeanors in every city except ten it names, and Lancaster is not one of them.
Can I appear at the Antelope Valley Courthouse remotely?
Sometimes. With the defendant's agreement, most misdemeanor hearings other than a trial can be held through LACourtConnect. In a felony case the defendant must be in court in person for arraignment, plea and the preliminary hearing unless they waive that presence, in which case those steps can be held by video; trial and most sentencing stay in person.