What should you know about Compton Courthouse for a criminal case?

Compton Courthouse, 200 West Compton Blvd., Compton, CA 90220, is the Los Angeles Superior Court's criminal courthouse for the South Central District; its main line is (310) 761-4300. The Criminal Clerk's Office, 4th floor, Room 403, takes calls at (310) 761-8658.

How do you find your case and court date?

A name search on the court's online portal costs $4.75 each time; with a case number in hand, the Criminal Clerk's Office line is the next stop.

A $4.75 charge applies to every name search through the court's Public Access Online Services, win or lose; options include "Exact Match," "Starts With" and "Sounds Like" against an index reaching back to 1980 for felonies and 1988 for misdemeanors, and the court has stated it has no plan to add bail or bond status there. With a case number already in hand, call the Criminal Clerk's Office at (310) 761-8658, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays except court holidays; the court's directory notes that custody information is available after 10:30 a.m. See the firm's Los Angeles County courthouse assignment guide for how the county routes an arrest to one building over another.

Which criminal cases does Compton Courthouse hear?

Compton Courthouse is the only building the Superior Court lists for the South Central District, so criminal complaints from that district are filed here by default.

Local Rule 2.2(b) places a single session location in the South Central District: Compton Courthouse. Rule 2.3(a)(3) is the operative filing rule, sending every criminal complaint to "the courthouse handling criminal matters which serves the city or unincorporated area where the offense is alleged to have occurred"; with one building in the district, every South Central arrest lands here by default. The Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division may still order a case filed elsewhere, or move one "for the convenience of witnesses" or "to promote the ends of justice" (Rule 2.3(b)(3)), a step taken in Department 100 of the Central District. Your own citation, notice to appear, or release paperwork controls over this general rule. See the firm's Los Angeles County criminal court guide for the county's broader venue structure.

What happens at arraignment, and what deadline comes before it?

A person held in custody must reach a judge within 48 hours, Sundays and holidays excluded; arraignment itself is where the charge gets read and a plea gets entered.

Penal Code 825(a)(1) is explicit 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." When that window closes outside court hours, subdivision (a)(2) pushes the deadline "to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following," with its own Wednesday rule: "when the defendant's arrest occurs on a Wednesday after the conclusion of the day's court session, and if the Wednesday is not a court holiday, the defendant shall be taken before the magistrate not later than the following Friday, if the Friday is not a court holiday." None of this applies to someone cited and released rather than held; that person's own paperwork carries the date instead. Once in front of the judge, Penal Code 858 and 859 secure the right to a lawyer at every stage, and Penal Code 988 is where the plea is entered. A felony defendant then has a right to a preliminary hearing within 10 court days of arraignment or plea, whichever is later, absent a waiver or good cause (Penal Code 859b); trial must start within 60 days of arraignment on the information or indictment for a felony, or, for a misdemeanor, 30 days after arraignment or plea, whichever is later, in custody and 45 days otherwise, absent a time waiver or good cause (Penal Code 1382). See the firm's step by step guide to a California arraignment.

Bail at Compton Courthouse

Many lower-level, non-violent charges carry $0 bail before arraignment under the court's release protocol; a dollar figure applies mainly to the serious charges the protocol excludes.

Before a first appearance, the court's 2026 felony bail schedule and 2026 misdemeanor bail schedule, both effective January 1, 2026, apply its Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol: $0 bail with release on a promise to appear, or a magistrate's release decision, for many lower-level offenses; no release at all before arraignment for capital crimes where the facts are evident or the presumption great, or for the offenses in California Constitution article I, section 12(b) and (c); and a scheduled dollar amount or an open-court hearing for Penal Code 1270.1 charges and sentencing enhancements. After that, a judge weighs ability to pay and nonfinancial conditions (In re Humphrey, 2021), may deny bail in a noncapital case only for a section 12(b) or (c) offense, and must generally set any money bail in a reasonably attainable amount (In re Kowalczyk, 2026); the Los Angeles County criminal court guide and the firm's how California bail amounts are set answer explain more.

Can you appear remotely at Compton Courthouse?

Compton's courtrooms offer remote appearances through LACourtConnect, but only for some proceedings, and only when the statute and judge allow it.

In a misdemeanor-only matter, Penal Code 977(a)(1) lets the defendant appear by counsel and, with agreement, handle the first appearance, arraignment, the plea, and most hearings short of a jury or court trial over LACourtConnect. Two carve-outs matter here: a misdemeanor domestic violence or Penal Code 273.6 charge still needs the defendant in person for arraignment and sentencing, and a misdemeanor DUI judge may order in-person appearance anyway. A felony case is far more restrictive. Penal Code 977(b)(1) requires physical presence at arraignment, the plea, the preliminary hearing, trial evidence, and sentencing, though a waiver under 977(c) lets the steps before trial go remote, and presence at other proceedings can be waived; the statute still draws a hard line: "A defendant charged with a felony or misdemeanor shall not appear remotely for a jury trial or court trial," and "A defendant charged with a felony shall not appear remotely at sentencing, except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law" (Penal Code 977(c)(1)(D), (E)). Compton joined the first wave of criminal courtrooms on LACourtConnect, June 2, 2025, on Microsoft Teams with no advance sign-up. On the hearing day, a participant starts at the LACourtConnect welcome page, chooses Criminal as the litigation type, searches by case number, calendar or name, and checks in a few minutes ahead. The platform is not for public viewing: "LACC is intended solely for remote appearances by case participants, including litigants, attorneys, and witnesses. LACC is not available for public or media observation. All nonconfidential court proceedings remain open to in-person public attendance."

Getting into Compton Courthouse

Everyone entering Compton Courthouse passes through a weapons screening at the door, so arrive a little early and leave anything questionable back in the car.

The Superior Court's standing general order on court security, filed January 2, 2025, bars the same items at Compton as at every county courthouse, including "Firearms, replica firearms, projectile weapons, ammunition, stun guns and tasers," "Knives, bladed or sharp instruments, needles and syringes," alcohol, "Illegal drugs, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia," and "Lighters, matches, fire starters, or devices capable of emitting smoke or vapor"; its medical exemption ("Items required for medical, mobility or disability needs are exempt") covers only the items the order marks, such as needles and syringes. The court states that "the courthouse is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the Clerk's Office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, Except Court Holidays," and under Local Rule 2.16(a) sessions run 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. unless the Presiding Judge orders otherwise. Pay parking sits at 400 South Acacia Avenue, at Acacia and Myrrh south of the courthouse; jurors park free.

Who prosecutes and defends a case at Compton Courthouse?

Felony and misdemeanor cases from Compton go to the District Attorney, and the Public Defender's office sits inside the same building.

Compton is not on the District Attorney's own exception list, so the District Attorney prosecutes misdemeanors from Compton as well as felonies. That office's FAQ states it "prosecutes felony crimes throughout Los Angeles County and misdemeanor crimes in unincorporated areas of the county and in all cities except Burbank, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica and Torrance," a list that leaves Compton fully inside its jurisdiction.

Office directory for Compton Courthouse, with floor and phone for each.

The Alternate Public Defender's own history page says the office was "created by the County Board of Supervisors in 1993 to stem the rising costs of indigent defense in cases where the Public Defender had a conflict of interest," stepping in whenever the main office cannot take a case for that reason. Penal Code 987(a) requires the court to appoint counsel for anyone at arraignment without a lawyer who cannot afford one, and Government Code 27706(a) commits the Public Defender to represent that person "without expense to the defendant." See the firm's public defender versus private attorney answer.

What if you miss a court date at Compton Courthouse?

Skipping a scheduled date can get a bench warrant issued, and doing it on purpose to dodge the case adds a separate criminal charge.

Penal Code 978.5(a) authorizes a bench warrant any time a defendant fails to show up as required, whether release came through citation, bail, or own recognizance. Willfully breaking a written promise to appear is its own misdemeanor under Penal Code 853.7, separate from the original charge. Someone released on their own recognizance who willfully fails to appear to evade the court commits a new misdemeanor, or felony if the case was a felony, under Penal Code 1320; waiting more than 14 days creates a presumption of intent. The same conduct after release on bail in a felony case is a separate felony (Penal Code 1320.5). If bail was posted and the person fails to appear without sufficient excuse, the court must declare the bail forfeited in open court, though an appearance within 180 days generally leads the court to vacate the forfeiture and exonerate the bond (Penal Code 1305). For a warrant already outstanding in a Compton case, read the firm's what to do about a California bench warrant answer.

Talk to a lawyer about a Compton Courthouse case

If you or a family member has a case headed to Compton 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. See also the firm's Compton criminal defense page.

Frequently asked questions

Does Compton Courthouse hear anything besides criminal cases?

Yes. The building's own case list also includes civil, family law, juvenile dependency, juvenile justice, small claims, traffic and unlawful detainer matters alongside its criminal division.

How much does an online name search of a Compton case cost?

$4.75 each time, win or lose, through Public Access Online Services; the court's FAQ calls the fee non-refundable. The Criminal Clerk's Office line is (310) 761-8658.

What happens if the 48-hour deadline falls while court is closed?

Only someone held in custody is on this clock, and it runs 48 hours excluding Sundays and holidays. When it expires with court closed, Penal Code 825(a)(2) carries it through the end of the next court session on the following court day; a Wednesday arrest made after that day's session reaches court by Friday unless either day is a court holiday.

Can my lawyer appear for me at Compton Courthouse?

In a misdemeanor-only case, usually yes, through counsel alone, but a domestic violence defendant must attend arraignment and sentencing, and a DUI judge may order the defendant to appear. A felony case generally needs you there in person for arraignment, the plea, the preliminary hearing, trial evidence, and sentencing, with only narrow waivers otherwise.

How do I check whether someone is in the Sheriff's custody?

Search the Sheriff's Inmate Information Center at app5.lasd.org/iic by name and date of birth, or call (213) 473-6100 (emergencies: call 911); a booking from the last two hours may not show up yet.

Can family members watch a Compton hearing remotely?

No. LACourtConnect serves only people directly involved in a case, such as parties, lawyers and witnesses; the court says it is not available for public or media observation. A non-confidential hearing stays open in person.