What Should You Expect at the Colusa County Courthouse?

Colusa County's criminal calendars are heard at the Courthouse Annex, Department 2, 532 Oak Street in Colusa, (530) 458-5149, not at the historic Main Courthouse on Market Street. The Annex building also houses the Criminal Clerk's Office, where in-person case check-ins and payments go.

Which courthouse hears a criminal case in Colusa County?

Colusa Superior Court's own calendar puts its criminal calendars, including Tuesday felony and misdemeanor arraignments, in Department 2 at the Courthouse Annex on Oak Street.

Both buildings share the same phone number and the same Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, with fax (530) 458-2230. The court's Court Calendar page lists Department 2's criminal calendars, including Tuesday misdemeanor and felony arraignments, while Department 1 carries civil, family, juvenile and probate calendars. For custody information rather than a court date, the Sheriff's Colusa County Jail page lists the jail at 929 Bridge Street, Colusa, (530) 458-0205, and our Colusa County Jail guide covers custody in depth; for other counties, see our courthouse and jail guides by county.

How do you look up a Colusa County criminal case online?

Colusa's court names an online case index, but its site says the Online Calendar Portal is temporarily unavailable until further notice, so call the Criminal Division instead.

1. The Criminal Division page links an online index for basic case information, but the court's site carries this notice: "Colusa Superior Court's Online Calendar Portal is temporarily unavailable until further notice."
2. Call the Criminal Division directly at (530) 458-5149, option 4, to reach a deputy clerk who can give limited case information over the phone while the portal stays down.
3. If you learn of an outstanding warrant, the court's own guidance is to appear for walk-in court on a Tuesday, checking in at the Annex, 532 Oak Street, before 12:30 p.m.; arriving after that time means you will not be seen that day, so turning yourself in to law enforcement or calling an attorney first are the alternatives.
4. In-custody arraignments are not always posted on the calendar in advance; call the Criminal Division after 9 a.m. for the specific time and department.

What happens at your first court date in Colusa County?

The judge explains the charge and your right to a lawyer at arraignment, and the same statewide deadlines that apply everywhere in California govern how fast you get there.

Penal Code section 825(a)(1) requires that

"the defendant shall in all cases be taken before the magistrate without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays."

The rule applies to a person held in custody; someone cited and released is not on that clock. Reaching a judge within that window says nothing about whether charges get filed or whether anyone is released; it only fixes when a court must see the person. A 48-hour period that ends while the court is closed runs through the end of the next court session on the following court day instead (Penal Code section 825(a)(2)). An arrest made on a Wednesday is handled differently once that day's session has already closed: as long as the Wednesday is not a court holiday, the person must still reach a judge by Friday, unless Friday is a court holiday too.

Colusa's court posts no felony and misdemeanor arrest bail schedule online; the document its Forms page calls its 2026 Bail Schedule is the Judicial Council's Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules for traffic, boating, fish and game and similar offenses. Before a judge sets bail, Penal Code section 1269b(b) makes it the amount on an arrest warrant or, without a warrant, the countywide schedule the judges must adopt (Penal Code section 1269b(c)); ask the jail for the amount on a specific charge. Penal Code section 1269c lets the defendant, an attorney, a friend or a relative ask for a lower figure or own recognizance release before then, except for the offenses Penal Code section 1270.1 lists. Whatever figure a judge does set has to clear two California Supreme Court rulings. In re Kowalczyk, from April 30, 2026, holds that money bail "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable" for the person in front of the court, and limits outright bail denial outside a capital case to the offenses in California Constitution article I, section 12(b) and (c). In re Humphrey (2021) came first and still controls the analysis: a judge who needs money bail must weigh whether the person can actually pay it, and whether a nonfinancial condition could instead "reasonably protect the public and the victim" and "reasonably assure the arrestee's presence at trial." See how California bail amounts are set and how a bail hearing works for the fuller statewide picture.

Can you appear remotely in a Colusa County criminal case?

Colusa's court does not publish a page describing remote appearance for criminal cases, so the statewide rule in Penal Code section 977 is what actually governs.

The court posts no remote-appearance page, form or instructions for criminal cases; its Local Rules' CourtCall rule covers only non-evidentiary civil law and motion and probate hearings. Ask the Criminal Division at (530) 458-5149, option 4, whether a specific hearing can be attended remotely, and do not assume one can without confirming it first. State law sets the floor no local practice can shrink below (Penal Code section 977). A misdemeanor defendant may appear through a lawyer and, with agreement, remotely for most proceedings, except that a domestic violence case requires presence for arraignment and sentencing and a judge may order presence in a DUI case. A felony defendant must generally be present in person for the arraignment, the plea, the preliminary hearing and sentencing, waivable only personally, and no defendant of any kind may appear remotely for a jury or court trial, with felony sentencing staying in person outside postconviction relief proceedings or as otherwise provided by law.

What should you bring, and how do you get to the courthouse?

Dress for court and plan on most of the day: the court bars shorts, tank tops and bare feet in the courtroom, and the Annex is at 532 Oak Street.

The court's Criminal Division page says a defendant "should expect to be in Court for a substantial portion of the day". Check whether your name is on the calendar outside the courtroom; if it is not, check in with the Clerk's Office at 532 Oak Street, where the deputy clerks will tell you the time and department. The court's Courthouse Annex page gives the route: from I-5, take the Highway 20 exit toward Clear Lake/Colusa and follow Highway 20 into town, where it becomes Tenth Street; turn right on Market Street (Highway 45), go east four blocks, turn right on 6th Street and go south two blocks to the Annex at 6th and Oak. Street and public lot parking is free, and the building has access for persons with disabilities (call ahead for special accommodations).

How do you request an interpreter in a Colusa County criminal case?

Colusa's own Local Rules commit the court to providing an interpreter in a criminal case from the first hearing onward, at no cost to the defendant.

Colusa's Local Rules, rule 2.07, draw a clear line between civil and criminal cases: "It is the responsibility of the parties in civil proceedings to provide their own interpreters," while "in criminal and juvenile proceedings, the court will provide interpreters for the defendant or minor or the minor's parents at an initial hearing when the court is aware that an interpreter is required, and at all subsequent hearings," and for witnesses too. The court's Language Access Information page covers complaints about language services and posts no request form, so tell the Criminal Division or your attorney as early as possible that an interpreter is needed. The underlying right traces to the California Constitution, article I, section 14, which covers anyone charged with a crime who cannot understand English, and the no-cost rule comes from a separate statute: the interpreter's pay is a charge against the court, not the defendant (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)).

Who is Colusa County's district attorney, and how do you get a court-appointed lawyer?

Colusa has no Public Defender's Office at all, by the court's own description; it appoints a lawyer case by case for anyone who qualifies and cannot afford one.

Colusa's own court page says it plainly: "Colusa County does not have a Public Defenders Office." When someone qualifies financially, the court appoints an attorney and gives that attorney's contact information directly to the defendant, rather than routing the case to a standing office. Penal Code sections 858 and 859 require the judge to explain the right to counsel at the first appearance, and Penal Code section 987 is what obligates the court to appoint someone once a defendant who cannot afford a lawyer says they want one.

Does Colusa County have collaborative or treatment courts?

The court's calendar lists a Tuesday Criminal Prop 36 calendar in Department 2, and Probation names a Day Reporting Center and a Community Corrections Partnership among its programs.

Colusa County Probation, at 532 Oak Street, Colusa, CA 95932, the same building as the Courthouse Annex, (530) 458-5871, lists a Day Reporting Center and a Community Corrections Partnership among its programs, without naming a separate pretrial-services unit. The court's own Divisions list names CARE Act Court, Civil, Criminal, Family Law, Juvenile, Small Claims and Traffic, and its Court Calendar page lists the Criminal Prop 36 calendar among Department 2's Tuesday calendars. Ask a criminal defense lawyer directly whether a specific charge connects to the Prop 36 calendar, CARE Act Court, the Day Reporting Center, or another program.

Talk to a lawyer about your Colusa County case

Before you or a family member appears in a Colusa County criminal case, talk to a lawyer about what to expect at the arraignment date at the Annex. 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.

Frequently asked questions

Does Colusa County have more than one courthouse?

Yes, two: the historic Main Courthouse and the Courthouse Annex, both in Colusa and sharing the same phone number, but only the Annex, Department 2, holds the criminal calendars the court lists.

Is the Colusa County online case portal working right now?

The court's own site says its Online Calendar Portal is temporarily unavailable until further notice; call the Criminal Division at (530) 458-5149, option 4, for case information in the meantime.

How much is bail in Colusa County?

Colusa's posted 2026 Bail Schedule is the Judicial Council's schedule for traffic, boating, fish and game and similar offenses; the court posts no felony and misdemeanor arrest schedule. Until a judge sets bail, it is the warrant amount or, without a warrant, the countywide schedule (Penal Code 1269b), and under In re Kowalczyk (2026) any money bail actually set must generally be reasonably attainable for that person.

Can a witness testify remotely in a Colusa County criminal case?

Penal Code section 977.3 allows it in a misdemeanor or felony proceeding other than a felony trial, but only with both sides' consent on the record and the court's own consent; the defendant's presence is a separate question under Penal Code section 977.

Do I need a lawyer at my first Colusa County court appearance?

It is a right, not a requirement. Penal Code sections 858 and 859 make the judge spell out that right at arraignment, and Penal Code section 987 requires the court to appoint one once you say you cannot afford a lawyer yourself.

Can I get an interpreter at no cost in a Colusa County criminal case?

Yes. Colusa's Local Rules commit the court to providing one for a criminal defendant from the first hearing where the need is known, and Evidence Code section 752(b)(1) makes the interpreter's pay a charge against the court, not the defendant.

What if I already missed a Colusa County court date?

A missed date can lead to a bench warrant (Penal Code section 978.5), and the court's own guidance is to appear for walk-in court on a Tuesday, check in at 532 Oak Street before 12:30 p.m., or turn yourself in to law enforcement; talk to a lawyer before deciding which.