Fresno County's criminal courthouse is the Felony and Misdemeanor Court inside the Downtown Courthouse, 1100 Van Ness Avenue in Fresno; domestic violence cases are heard separately at the Jail Annex, and infractions at the "M" Street Courthouse. Your citation, notice to appear, or release paperwork states the court, date and time; the court's case lookup can confirm the department.
Fresno County's criminal courthouses
Three Fresno County Superior Court buildings handle adult criminal matters, each hearing a different mix of cases; a fourth, the B.F. Sisk Courthouse, handles only civil, family and probate matters.
Fresno County criminal courthouses, their addresses and what each hears
| Courthouse | Address and phone | What it hears |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Courthouse, Felony and Misdemeanor Court | 1100 Van Ness Avenue, Fourth Floor, Room 401, Fresno, CA 93724; Criminal Clerk's Office (559) 457-1801, fax (559) 457-1820 | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases |
| Jail Annex, Criminal Courts Departments 95 and 96 | 1265 M Street, Fresno, CA 93721; (559) 457-2000 | Criminal cases and domestic violence criminal cases |
| "M" Street Courthouse | 2317 Tuolumne Street, Fresno, CA 93721; (559) 457-1700 | Criminal infractions, traffic infractions; Drug Court currently sits here |
| B.F. Sisk Courthouse (not criminal) | 1130 O Street, Fresno, CA 93721 | Civil, probate, family law, restraining orders, self-help and small claims |
The court's own locations page lists these buildings and their clerk's-office hours. The Fresno Superior Court also runs an ACTION Center at 1100 Van Ness Avenue, behind the Jury Assembly Room, which the court says processes "criminal case sentencing orders" and related programs after a case is resolved, not new arraignments. If your paperwork does not name a building, call the Criminal Clerk's Office at (559) 457-1801 before you drive over. For broader Fresno County criminal defense topics, see the firm's Fresno criminal defense page.
How do you find your case and court date?
Fresno's online case lookup is a public information tool, not the official court record; when the portal is unavailable, the Criminal Clerk's Office can confirm a case.
The court's Case Information page links its online Case Management and Information System, which the court says "only shows information that can be viewed by the public," and warns that "the information provided on and obtained from this website does not constitute the official record of the court." When the portal is unavailable, confirm a case or date by calling the Criminal Clerk's Office or visiting in person; for an official certified record the court says you must visit or submit a written request.
What happens at arraignment, the first court date?
At arraignment the judge states the charge, explains the right to counsel and takes a plea; anyone held in custody must get there within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays.
If you are held in custody, Penal Code 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." Saturdays count toward the 48 hours. When those hours run out while court is not in session, Penal Code 825(a)(2) extends the deadline "to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following"; and when the arrest happens on a Wednesday after that day's court session has ended, and the Wednesday is not a court holiday, the same subdivision requires that the person be brought before the magistrate "not later than the following Friday, if the Friday is not a court holiday." This 48-hour rule is a deadline for appearing before a judge, not a promise of release, and it does not apply to someone cited and released rather than held.
At the first appearance the magistrate must "immediately inform the defendant of the charge... and of his or her right to the aid of counsel" (Penal Code 858(a)); in a felony case the magistrate must also give a copy of the complaint and ask whether the defendant wants a lawyer (Penal Code 859). A misdemeanor or infraction case not tried within 30 days of arraignment or plea, whichever is later, for a person then in custody, or 45 days otherwise, is generally dismissed absent a waiver or good cause (Penal Code 1382).
How does bail and release work in Fresno County?
Until someone actually appears before a judge, the dollar figure that controls release is whatever the arrest warrant names or, failing that, the number printed on the county's own schedule.
Fresno County Superior Court judges "prepare, adopt, and annually revise a uniform countywide schedule of bail" (Penal Code 1269b(c)), published on the court's Bail Schedules page as the Criminal Bail Schedules 2026; a separate Uniform Bail Schedule 2026 covers traffic tickets. The page itself warns that "these schedules may not reflect the total fine amount ordered by the Judge at the time of sentencing." A sample of the county's listed amounts:
Sample Fresno County 2026 Criminal Bail Schedule amounts
| Arrest | Bail |
|---|---|
| Felony not specifically listed, by maximum sentence | $5,000 (3 years or less) to $25,000 (8 years or less) |
| DUI, Vehicle Code 23152, first offense | $5,000 |
| DUI, second offense (23152/23540) | $10,000 |
| DUI, third offense (23152/23546) | $25,000 |
| Domestic battery, Penal Code 243(e), all subsections | $10,000 |
| Felony corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, Penal Code 273.5 | $25,000 ($50,000 with a prior conviction) |
Several of these offenses also require a bail hearing first. Under Penal Code 1270.1(a), a serious or violent felony (not including residential burglary), felony corporal injury or criminal threats, stalking, misdemeanor domestic battery, and some protective-order violations require a hearing in open court, with two court days' notice to both sides, held within the Penal Code 825 time limit, before bail is set above or below the schedule or before own recognizance release. Penal Code 1270.1(e) is the one exception: for a felony or a domestic violence order violation, a judge may raise bail above the schedule without a hearing on a sworn officer's declaration.
Someone arraigned in custody on a misdemeanor-only complaint has a presumptive right to own recognizance release (Penal Code 1270(a)); a court can deny that only with findings on the record, under Penal Code 1275, that release would endanger public safety or not reasonably guarantee the person returns, with public safety weighing most. In re Humphrey (2021) 11 Cal.5th 135 held that a court may not condition freedom solely on whether an arrestee can afford bail, and must consider ability to pay and whether nonfinancial conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the person's appearance in court. In re Kowalczyk (Cal. Supreme Ct., Apr. 30, 2026, S277910) later held that in noncapital cases a trial court "has the authority to deny bail only as to offenses specified in [Constitution article I,] section 12, subdivisions (b) and (c)," and that when money bail is used, it "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable." Before your first appearance, you, a lawyer, friend or family member can ask a magistrate for bail lower than the schedule, or own recognizance release, under Penal Code 1269c (except the 1270.1(a) offenses); if no order changes the amount within eight hours of booking, you may be released on the scheduled bail. Our answer on bail amounts in California and the firm's page on bail hearings cover how a lawyer asks the court to change an amount.
Can you appear in court remotely?
Fresno's own remote-appearance page covers civil hearings only; a criminal defendant's right to appear remotely comes from state law, not a posted Fresno court procedure.
The court's Remote Appearance Information page states it is governed by Local Rules 1.1.19 and 2.2.4, Code of Civil Procedure 367.75, and California Rules of Court rule 3.672, all civil authorities; it does not describe a criminal procedure. Misdemeanor defendants have the most flexibility: counsel alone can stand in, and with agreement almost every hearing but a jury or court trial can proceed by video under Penal Code 977(a)(1); a domestic violence misdemeanor still needs the person present for arraignment and sentencing, and a judge can order presence for a misdemeanor DUI. Felony defendants face the opposite default: in person for arraignment, the plea, the preliminary hearing, trial evidence and sentencing; a waiver allows remote appearance, but never for a jury or court trial, nor for sentencing except postconviction relief and as otherwise provided by law (Penal Code 977(b), (c)). Confirm with the assigned department before counting on a remote hearing.
What should you bring, and how do you get into the courthouse?
Every Fresno County courthouse screens visitors with a metal detector and an x-ray; plan extra time and leave prohibited items at home.
The court's Visiting the Court page states that "the lobby has a metal detector and an airport type x-ray machine for screening purposes," and that weapons, including pocketknives of all sizes, tear gas, stun guns, scissors and knitting needles, cannot be brought into the courthouse, "even the smallest of these objects." Food and water are barred. The same page asks visitors to dress neatly and stay quiet while court is in session. Bring photo identification, your citation or notice to appear, and your bail receipt if you already posted bail.
Where are the public defender, district attorney and probation offices?
Each office is separate from the court itself; you ask the court to appoint the public defender at your first appearance if you cannot afford a lawyer.
- Cannot afford a lawyer: the court must appoint counsel at arraignment (Penal Code 987(a)); ask for the Fresno County Public Defender, Main Office, 2135 Fresno Street, Suite 100, Fresno, CA 93721, (559) 600-3546. Weighing appointed counsel against hiring your own? See the public defender compared with a private attorney.
- The Fresno County District Attorney prosecutes felony and misdemeanor cases countywide; its office page lists current contact details.
- The Fresno County Probation Department handles presentence investigation and supervision after sentencing; the court's own criminal division page is a starting point for probation questions tied to a pending case.
The court's own interpreter information states it "provides interpreting services to all trial court proceedings in criminal, traffic, and juvenile delinquency proceedings"; ask the clerk at the counter or courtroom, or call the Interpreters' Office, (559) 457-4910, ahead if you need a language other than Spanish.
Does Fresno County have collaborative or specialty courts?
Yes. The Fresno Superior Court runs seven treatment-focused collaborative courts, covering issues from substance use to mental health and veteran status, open to defendants who qualify and agree to participate.
The court's Collaborative Courts Division page states its "Specialty Collaborative Courts... is comprised of seven (7) Treatment Courts": DUI Court, Adult Behavioral Health Court, CARE Act, Family Behavioral Health Court, Mental Health AB1810 Court, Unity Court, and Veterans Treatment Court, administered from 1100 N. Van Ness Avenue, (559) 457-1973. A listing is not an eligibility promise; ask the court or your attorney whether a program applies.
Frequently asked questions
What if my citation or notice to appear does not say which Fresno County courthouse to go to?
Call the Criminal Clerk's Office at (559) 457-1801 before you drive over; the clerk can confirm the exact building and department once your case is on file.
Is the Fresno bail schedule amount the final price I must pay?
No. The schedule only fills in a number before anyone from the court has looked at your file; once you reach arraignment, the judge applies Penal Code 1275 and the Humphrey and Kowalczyk rulings to set whatever amount that judge finds appropriate for your situation.
What happens if I miss a scheduled Fresno County court date?
Expect the judge to issue a bench warrant for your arrest; separately, willfully failing to appear to evade the court is its own new charge after own recognizance release (Penal Code 1320) or felony bail (Penal Code 1320.5). Our answer on a California bench warrant walks through what to do next.
How do I get a free interpreter for a Fresno County criminal case?
Ask the clerk at the counter or in the courtroom; in a criminal case the court pays the interpreter (Evidence Code 752(b)(1)), and the Interpreters' Office, (559) 457-4910, can arrange one for a language other than Spanish ahead of your date.
How can I find out if someone is being held in the Fresno County jail tonight?
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office publishes an online Incarcerated Person Search tool, separate from the court's own case records.
Talk to a lawyer about a Fresno County case
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free consultation, is available 24/7, and offers payment plans. Call (800) 755-5174 or use our online contact form to talk with a lawyer about a Fresno County criminal case. For the firm's Fresno DUI practice, see our Fresno DUI lawyer page.