The Beverly Hills Courthouse, 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, is a Los Angeles Superior Court building in the court's West District that hears civil, small claims and traffic matters. It does not hear criminal cases; a criminal case from Beverly Hills is heard at the Airport Courthouse instead.

Does the Beverly Hills Courthouse hear criminal cases?

No. The Airport Courthouse, not the Beverly Hills Courthouse, is the West District's criminal courthouse, and Beverly Hills sits in that district.

The Local Rules place three locations in the West District: the Beverly Hills Courthouse, the Santa Monica Courthouse, and the Airport Courthouse. Under Local Rule 2.3(a)(3), a criminal complaint is filed "at the courthouse handling criminal matters which serves the city or unincorporated area where the offense is alleged to have occurred," within that district. The court's own courthouse records list a Criminal division at Airport and none at Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. Your citation, notice to appear, or release paperwork from an actual arrest names the exact courthouse, which for a Beverly Hills arrest is the Airport Courthouse, covered in the firm's Airport Courthouse guide; see also the firm's Los Angeles County courthouse assignment guide for how this filing rule works across the rest of the county.

What does the Beverly Hills Courthouse itself handle?

The court's own courthouse record lists three divisions at the Beverly Hills Courthouse: Civil, Small Claims and Traffic, and no Criminal division.

The same record gives the courthouse's main phone as (310) 281-2400 and a small claims line at (310) 281-2496, and the court's own Beverly Hills Courthouse page shows the building's current details. A criminal case from Beverly Hills goes to the Airport Courthouse instead, as the section above explains.

Finding your court date

A citation or notice to appear names the courthouse and the date; other court papers name the court, and the right lookup tool depends on the case type.

For a civil, small claims, or traffic matter, the papers you received name the court that handles it. For a Beverly Hills criminal matter at the Airport Courthouse, the Los Angeles Superior Court's Search for Case by Defendant Name tool looks a case up by Exact Match, Starts With, or Sounds Like name search; the felony index covers 1980 forward and the misdemeanor index 1988 forward. A guest user pays a flat $4.75 per name search under the court's public-access fee rule, whether or not it finds a match; California Rule of Court 2.507 keeps a defendant's date of birth out of the results.

Getting into the Beverly Hills Courthouse

Doors open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday except court holidays; courthouse parking carries a charge, and metered parking lines the surrounding streets.

Local Rule 2.29 requires everyone entering a Los Angeles Superior Court building to be screened for weapons and other prohibited items by court security, and refusing that screening is grounds for being refused entry; a litigant may never bring a firearm or other weapon inside. Local Rule 2.17 also bars anyone other than authorized court personnel from photographing or recording images or sound inside a courthouse, including its public areas, offices, entrances, and hallways. Ordinary court sessions run 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. under Local Rule 2.16, subject to the Presiding Judge varying that schedule; the Clerk's Office opens at 8:30 a.m., and the court's own Beverly Hills Courthouse page is worth checking before you go, since posted details can change.

Who handles a Beverly Hills criminal case, and who prosecutes it?

A Beverly Hills arrest goes to the Airport Courthouse, where the Los Angeles County Public Defender keeps an office, and prosecution follows the charge and the city.

If you cannot afford a lawyer for a criminal case, Penal Code section 987 requires the court to appoint one once you ask at arraignment, without expense to you under Government Code section 27706(a); the Public Defender's own FAQ says to call the office at the courthouse named on your paperwork, which for a Beverly Hills arrest is the Airport Courthouse, and that the office accepts a collect call from someone in custody. The District Attorney's own office FAQ lists ten cities where it does not prosecute misdemeanors; Beverly Hills is not one of them, so a Beverly Hills misdemeanor stays with the County District Attorney, the same office that prosecutes every Beverly Hills felony. How appointed and hired counsel compare is the subject of the firm's answer on the difference between a public defender and a private attorney.

The Law Offices of David S. Chesley has an office in Beverly Hills itself, separate from the courthouse: see the firm's Beverly Hills office page for its current address, phone, and a map.

What if you miss a court date tied to a Beverly Hills matter?

Missing a required date, criminal or civil, can bring a bench warrant or another consequence; a willful failure to appear in a criminal case can become a separate charge.

Penal Code section 978.5 allows, but does not require, a bench warrant when a defendant fails to appear as the law requires, including after release on a citation, bail, or their own recognizance. Willfully failing to appear to evade the court, after an own-recognizance release, is a misdemeanor or felony under Penal Code section 1320, depending on the underlying case; doing the same after a felony bail release is a felony under Penal Code section 1320.5. If a warrant has already issued over a missed date, the firm's page on what to do about a California bench warrant sets out the options.

Talk to a lawyer about a Beverly Hills case

If you or a family member is facing a criminal matter connected to Beverly Hills, talk to a lawyer before your court date at the Airport Courthouse. 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 Beverly Hills criminal defense and Beverly Hills DUI pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is a DUI arrest in Beverly Hills heard at the Beverly Hills Courthouse?

No. A DUI charged by a prosecutor is a criminal case, and among the three West District courthouses only Airport has a Criminal division in the court's own records.

Does the Santa Monica Courthouse hear criminal cases?

No. The court's own record for the Santa Monica Courthouse lists Civil, Family Law, Small Claims, Traffic and Unlawful Detainer divisions, and no Criminal division.

Does the Beverly Hills Courthouse handle traffic tickets?

Yes. The court's own record lists a Traffic division there, with the Traffic Clerk's Office on the 3rd floor; a traffic ticket names the courthouse where it is handled.

Who prosecutes a misdemeanor arrest made in Beverly Hills?

The Los Angeles County District Attorney, since Beverly Hills is not on the District Attorney's list of cities with their own city prosecutor.

Can I get a public defender for a Beverly Hills criminal case?

Yes, if you cannot afford a lawyer. The court appoints one once you ask at your arraignment at the Airport Courthouse, the building that actually hears the case.

Is the firm's Beverly Hills office located at the courthouse?

No. The firm's office is at a separate Beverly Hills address from the courthouse on Burton Way; see the firm's Beverly Hills office page for the current address.