What Happens at the Glenn County Courthouse?

Glenn County Superior Court has one courthouse for the entire county, the Main Courthouse in Willows at 526 West Sycamore Street; call (530) 934-6446 and choose option 2 for the Criminal Division. This guide covers looking up a case, bail, and what to expect at arraignment.

Which courthouse hears criminal cases in Glenn County?

Glenn County has a single courthouse in Willows; its own phone system routes criminal and juvenile delinquency calls to option 2 on the main line.

The same main number reaches every division by a different option: option 1 for Traffic and Juvenile Traffic, option 4 for Civil, option 8 for Family Law and Juvenile Dependency. The Self Help Center has its own line, (530) 934-7114, and the Criminal Case division's own page repeats the criminal number with a fax line, (530) 934-6728. For a different county's criminal court, see our courthouse and jail guides by county.

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

Glenn's case lookup runs through a Tyler Technologies Odyssey portal reached from the court's own Case Search page, which also offers an online register of actions.

Glenn County Superior Court's Case Search page lets you search the online case index or display an online register of actions for a case. To find a case or a hearing date:

1. Open the court's online case portal.
2. Do not use the Register option; the court says an account is not required to search for public cases or hearings.
3. Use Smart Search to search court records by name; for a partial name, add an asterisk, as in the court's example, Smith, J*.
4. Use Search Hearings to look for court hearings within a date range.
5. If a new case is not showing yet, call the Criminal Division at (530) 934-6446, option 2, during clerk's office hours, or look the case up in person at the courthouse, which the court says involves no fee.

What happens at your first Glenn County court date?

A person held in custody must be brought before a judge within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays; Glenn's own page explains arraignment, pleas and missed dates.

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 covers a person held in custody, and it is a deadline to bring that person before a judge, not a deadline for filing charges and not a promise of release. Saturdays count; Sundays and court holidays do not, and Glenn lists its holidays on its Hours and Holidays page. If the 48 hours run out while court is not in session, the deadline moves through the close of that next court session, the one held on the following court day (Penal Code section 825(a)(2)). The same subdivision sets a Wednesday rule: when the arrest happens on a Wednesday after that day's court session has ended, and the Wednesday is not a court holiday, the person must be brought before a judge no later than the following Friday, if that Friday is not a court holiday.

Glenn's own Criminal Case page describes the first appearance plainly: the judge informs the defendant of the charges and asks whether the defendant understands them, and a not guilty plea leads to a pre-trial conference date.

Glenn County Superior Court's own 2026 Jail Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026 and adopted under Penal Code section 1269b(e), sets a starting bail figure that a judge can change at arraignment; see how California bail amounts are set for the statewide rule and our Glenn County Jail guide for how custody and bail work in more detail. Two California Supreme Court decisions govern the judge's bail decision. In re Humphrey (2021) requires a judge who sets money bail to consider the person's ability to pay and to consider nonfinancial conditions of release. In re Kowalczyk (April 30, 2026) holds that in a noncapital case a judge may deny bail only for the offenses listed in article I, section 12(b) and (c) of the California Constitution, and that money bail must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable.

If you are charged with a misdemeanor or felony and miss your court date, the court's own page warns that a bench warrant will issue, and you then need to arrange a warrant surrender with the court or turn yourself in to local law enforcement; see what happens at arraignment generally.

Can you appear remotely in a Glenn County criminal case?

Glenn's Local Rule 2.14 lets the court allow a remote criminal appearance in select circumstances under Penal Code 977, on a motion filed at least five days ahead.

Glenn County Superior Court's current Local Rules, effective January 1, 2026, say in Rule 2.14 that remote appearances "may be authorized for criminal matters in select circumstances and proceedings" under Penal Code sections 977, 977.2 and 977.3. In a criminal case the court may allow a phone appearance through CourtCall when a written request is filed at least five calendar days before the hearing, and a Zoom video appearance when a motion is filed and served at least five court days before it. If video is approved, the court schedules the video conference and sends the connection details. The court's Remote Appearances page sets out only the civil and juvenile dependency steps.

Penal Code section 977 sets the outer limits. With the defendant's agreement, a misdemeanor case may be handled remotely at every stage except a jury or court trial, subject to the domestic violence and DUI exceptions in the questions below. A felony defendant must be physically present at the arraignment, the plea, the preliminary hearing, the evidence portions of trial and sentencing, unless the defendant waives physical presence for a hearing that may be held remotely. No defendant may appear remotely for a jury trial or court trial, and a felony defendant may not appear remotely at sentencing, except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law. Ask your attorney whether a remote-appearance motion makes sense for a specific Glenn County hearing.

What should you bring, and how do you get to the Glenn County Courthouse?

The courthouse is at 526 West Sycamore Street in Willows; leave heavy bags at home, dress for court, and arrive on time for the roll call.

The clerk's office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., except court holidays. The court's Court Etiquette page asks visitors not to bring heavy backpacks or totes, because they slow the security process, and to turn cell phones off inside the courthouse. Glenn's Local Rule 2.9 sets the dress rule for every courtroom: shoes must be worn, shorts may not be worn, hats are allowed only when worn for religious purposes, and dark glasses only when prescribed or worn for medical reasons. The etiquette page also says a case set for 8:30 a.m. can be called anytime until noon and that a roll call may begin before court convenes, so arrive on time.

Who pays for an interpreter?

California's Constitution gives anyone charged with a crime who cannot understand English the right to an interpreter throughout the case (article I, section 14), and in a criminal case the interpreter's pay is a charge against the court, not the defendant (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)). Glenn's Court Etiquette page tells anyone in a criminal or domestic violence case whose first language is not English to notify the court immediately, and says an interpreter will be provided; the court's Language Access page describes its no-cost interpreter services. When a lawyer handles the case, Glenn's Local Rule 2.11 asks counsel to give the court fourteen days' notice before the hearing, or a shorter time upon a showing of good cause.

Who prosecutes and defends a Glenn County criminal case?

The Glenn County District Attorney prosecutes cases from Willows; a defendant who cannot afford a lawyer can have the court appoint the Public Defender.

The Glenn County District Attorney's Office is located at 125 S. Murdock Ave., Willows, CA 95988, (530) 934-6525, and the court describes it as the office that represents the People of Glenn County and prosecutes criminal cases. Glenn County Superior Court's own Criminal Case page explains that the Public Defender may be appointed to represent a defendant who cannot afford to hire a lawyer, based on established financial guidelines, and that the court makes the appointment. The same page says a person without a lawyer who cannot afford one may ask the court to appoint one at the arraignment (Penal Code section 987).

Does Glenn County have collaborative or treatment court calendars?

Glenn's Local Rules name drug court and behavioral health among the proceedings the court holds, alongside domestic violence, Prop 36, and juvenile calendars.

Glenn County Superior Court's Local Rules list drug court, Prop 36, and behavioral health, together with criminal domestic violence, preliminary calendar matters, felony law and motion, criminal trial confirmation, juvenile delinquency and dependency, adoptions, and criminal jury trials, as the proceeding types for which the court provides a reporter. That listing shows Glenn holds drug court and behavioral health proceedings; ask your attorney whether a particular charge could qualify and how a referral works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find my Glenn County court date or case number?

Use the court's online case index or case register through its Case Search page, or call the Criminal Division at (530) 934-6446, option 2, if a new citation or case is not showing yet.

How much is bail in Glenn County?

Glenn County Superior Court's 2026 Jail Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, sets a starting amount by offense. A judge is not bound by that figure at arraignment, and under In re Kowalczyk (2026) money bail must generally be set at an amount the person can reasonably attain.

Can I ask for a lower bail amount before my Glenn County arraignment?

Yes. Penal Code section 1269c lets the person in custody, their lawyer, or someone close to them take that request straight to a judge, asking for a smaller figure or release on a promise instead of cash. It does not reach the charges listed in Penal Code section 1270.1, such as a serious or violent felony (other than residential burglary), domestic battery, or stalking, which go through a hearing in open court instead.

Can my lawyer go to court for me in a Glenn County misdemeanor case?

In most misdemeanor cases, yes. Penal Code section 977(a)(1) lets a person charged only with a misdemeanor appear through a lawyer. Two exceptions: in a misdemeanor domestic violence case the person must be present for arraignment and sentencing, and in a misdemeanor DUI case the judge may order the person to be present for arraignment, plea or sentencing. A felony case has stricter presence rules, covered in the remote-appearance section above.

How do I request an interpreter for a Glenn County criminal case?

Tell the court right away. Glenn's Court Etiquette page asks anyone in a criminal or domestic violence case whose first language is not English to notify the court immediately, and says an interpreter will be provided. Local Rule 2.11 separately asks counsel to give fourteen days' notice, or a shorter time for good cause. The interpreter is free: the cost is a charge against the court, not the defendant (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)).

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

You are entitled to have one there, and California law does not leave that to chance: under Penal Code sections 858 and 859, the judge has to inform you of the right to counsel as soon as the arraignment starts. Cost is not a reason to go without: if you want a lawyer and cannot afford one, Penal Code section 987 requires the court to appoint counsel, and Glenn's court appoints the Public Defender for people who qualify.

What happens if I miss a Glenn County court date?

The court's own Criminal Case page says a bench warrant will issue for a missed misdemeanor or felony court date, after which you need to arrange a warrant surrender with the court or turn yourself in to local law enforcement. Willfully breaking a written promise to appear can also be charged as its own separate misdemeanor (Penal Code section 853.7).

Talk to a lawyer about your Glenn County case

The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, available 24 hours a day, for anyone with a court date or a family member's case in Glenn County. Call (800) 755-5174, request a free consultation online, with payment plans available and service in Spanish, see our criminal defense lawyer page, or see our Glenn County Jail guide if someone is still in custody.