Los Angeles County Superior Court hears criminal cases at courthouses across the county; which one hears a given case is stated on the citation, release paperwork or arraignment notice. Most people arrested for a non-violent, non-serious offense are released before arraignment under the court's Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol rather than a traditional bail amount. If held, state law requires an arraignment within 48 hours.

Which courthouse will hear the case

The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles is the largest trial court in the country, with dozens of courthouses across the county that together handle every case type, including adult criminal matters. Its courthouse locator lists each location by name and street address. Rather than guess from geography, use the document in the specific case: the citation, release paper, bond receipt or arraignment notice states the assigned courthouse. Two downtown locations are dedicated to criminal proceedings by name: the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center at 210 West Temple Street and the Central Arraignment Courthouse at 429 Bauchet Street, both in Los Angeles, 90012. See which Los Angeles County courthouse hears a case for the formal filing rule.

After an arrest: booking and release under the county's current protocols

Anyone booked into county custody is processed at the Sheriff's Inmate Reception Center, 450 Bauchet Street, Los Angeles, part of the same downtown complex as the Twin Towers Correctional Facility and Men's Central Jail. The Sheriff's Inmate Information Center can locate a booked person by name and date of birth, though a booking from the last two hours will not yet appear, and the department's Inmate Information Line is (213) 473-6100.

Since October 1, 2023, the court has used a Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol (PARP) rather than a dollar-amount schedule for most arrests. The court's own explanation sorts an arrest into one of five categories: Cite and Release or Book and Release, which release most non-violent, non-serious offenses on $0 bail with a promise to appear; Magistrate Review, where a magistrate, available seven days a week and 24 hours a day by the court's account, sets individualized non-financial conditions for higher-risk non-violent offenses; Money Bail, required by state law for domestic violence and most serious or violent felonies, including those listed in Penal Code section 1270.1; and Not Eligible for Release, for capital offenses and the felonies described in Penal Code section 1270.5. When a dollar amount does apply, it comes from the court's current felony and misdemeanor bail schedules, both effective January 1, 2026, and set under the countywide-schedule duty in Penal Code section 1269b. See how bail amounts are set in California and the firm's bail reduction motion page for how a set amount can later change. For a step-by-step guide to posting bail for someone already in county custody, see how to post bail for someone booked into Los Angeles County jail.

Who prosecutes and who defends

Felony cases and most misdemeanors in the county are prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney, headquartered at 211 West Temple Street, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, listed phone (213) 974-3512. Some city ordinances and lesser misdemeanors can be prosecuted by a city attorney instead, so the complaint itself names the prosecuting agency.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, ask the court to appoint the Los Angeles County Public Defender at the first appearance. Its FAQ page bases eligibility on inability to afford counsel and notes that a person later convicted while represented by appointed counsel can face a separate hearing on the present ability to pay some or all of the cost of that representation. Each courthouse has its own Public Defender branch; the office directs callers to phone the branch tied to their courthouse between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., and its downtown office is at 210 West Temple Street, 19th Floor, Los Angeles.

What happens at the first appearance, and after

If you are held in custody, Penal Code section 825(a) requires that you be brought before a judge without unnecessary delay and within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays, with an extension when that period ends while court is not in session. If you were cited or released, your first date is the one on your paperwork. See what happens at a California arraignment, step by step, for what that hearing itself covers.

The same statewide deadlines that apply everywhere in California apply here. For felonies, Penal Code section 859b requires the preliminary hearing within 10 court days of arraignment or plea unless both sides waive that time or the court finds good cause, and an in-custody defendant held solely on that complaint is entitled to dismissal if it is set later without a personal waiver or good cause. If the judge holds the defendant to answer, an information must be filed within 15 days, and trial must begin within 60 days of arraignment on the information (section 1382(a)(1) and (a)(2)). For misdemeanors, trial must begin within 30 days of arraignment or plea if the defendant is in custody, or 45 days if not (section 1382(a)(3)). Missing a court date can lead to a bench warrant; see what to do about a California bench warrant.

Diversion and sentencing programs

Los Angeles County also runs programs that can apply instead of, or alongside, a standard sentence, each with its own eligibility screening rather than automatic qualification. The county's Office of Diversion and Reentry describes its purpose as diverting people with serious physical or behavioral health needs away from the justice system and into community-based housing and services. Which programs apply, if any, depends on the specific charge, the assigned court and the defendant's record. See how Los Angeles County's collaborative courts accept a case for how one of these pathways actually works.

What to bring and do now

  • Bring the citation, release paper, bond receipt or arraignment notice, since that document directs you to the assigned courthouse.
  • If someone is in custody, have their full name and date of birth ready; the Sheriff's Inmate Information Center and Inmate Information Line use that to confirm custody status, though a booking from the last two hours will not yet show.
  • The court's own website lists self-help resources and case-access tools once a case number exists.
  • If you missed a court date and a bench warrant may have issued, see what to do about a California bench warrant.

For the firm's Los Angeles County practice, see its Los Angeles criminal defense page.