What does the Moreno Valley Courthouse actually hear?

The Moreno Valley Courthouse, at 13800 Heacock Street in Moreno Valley, hears small claims, unlawful detainer, civil and traffic matters. It does not hear felony or misdemeanor cases. A Moreno Valley criminal case is heard instead at the Riverside Hall of Justice, 4100 Main Street in Riverside.

Which case types does the court list for the Moreno Valley Courthouse?

Riverside Superior Court's own location page lists four matter types for this building, and felony or misdemeanor cases are not among them.

What the court's own Moreno Valley Courthouse page publishes.

The court's own list of Criminal Court Locations names five buildings: Riverside, Banning, Blythe, Indio and Murrieta. Moreno Valley is not one of them. The building is a two-building complex, with the clerk's office in one building and two courtrooms, MV1 and MV2, in the other, connected by an exterior elevator; public parking is adjacent on the south, east and west sides. Everyone entering the courtroom building passes through security screening, including a metal detector that can accommodate an average-size wheelchair.

Where is a Moreno Valley criminal case actually heard?

Riverside County assigns felony and misdemeanor filings to one of five courthouses by the zip code where the offense happened; Moreno Valley's assignment is the Hall of Justice.

Local Rule 4001 has criminal cases filed by the zip code of the alleged offense, at the courthouse a filing order designates, and usually heard there or elsewhere in the same region. That order, Where to File Criminal and Traffic Documents, lists Moreno Valley with Riverside, Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Norco and Perris for felonies and misdemeanors at the Hall of Justice, the building in the table above, and sends Moreno Valley's infraction tickets to the Moreno Valley Courthouse. Your citation, notice to appear or release papers name the courthouse to attend, whatever building is nearest your home. The full city list and its exceptions are in the firm's answer on which Riverside County courthouse hears a case, and its Riverside County criminal court guide follows the case once it reaches the Hall of Justice. Metered street parking in downtown Riverside on Main Street currently costs 25 cents per 10 minutes, up to four hours at a time; parking structures are at 3535 12th Street, 4090 Lemon Street and 3964 Orange Street.

How do I find my case and court date?

Riverside Superior Court's Public Portal is the lookup tool for both the Moreno Valley Courthouse's own civil filings and a Hall of Justice criminal case.

1. The court's Search Court Records, Public Access page links the Public Portal; signing in needs an online account.
2. A case-number search costs nothing; a name search costs $1 a name if you run it or $15 a name if court staff do.
3. The portal's calendar covers the current day plus the next seven, listing each hearing's time, type and department.
4. If you have no paperwork yet, use the city or zip code where the incident happened, not where you live, to identify the likely branch, then confirm it with the clerk's office or your attorney before you travel.

For a person already booked, the Sheriff's Inmate Locator lists the next court date and the court that has the case.

What happens at the first court date, and what are the deadlines?

Once a Moreno Valley arrest reaches the Hall of Justice, the first hearing is the arraignment, where a judicial officer explains the charges and rights and takes a plea.

Under Penal Code section 988, arraignment includes delivering a copy of the charges, though in a misdemeanor case the complaint need not be handed over unless the defendant asks. Custody starts a clock that belongs to Penal Code section 825, not to any particular courthouse: the defendant must be produced "within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays," a window the statute extends "to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following" whenever it would otherwise close while court is not in session. When the arrest happens on a non-holiday Wednesday after court has closed for the day, the statute's deadline is "not later than the following Friday, if the Friday is not a court holiday." According to the court's Criminal Division page, the Hall of Justice hears in-custody misdemeanors, felony drug cases, felony and misdemeanor domestic violence cases and felony non-drug cases on separate 1:30 p.m. weekday calendars. A defendant who was cited or already released goes by the date on the paperwork instead.

Expect an in-person hearing. The court's own Remote Appearances page describes criminal proceedings as "generally in-person," and Penal Code section 977 lets a misdemeanor defendant appear by counsel and, with agreement, remotely except at trial, though a defendant charged with domestic violence has to be there for arraignment and sentencing, and the court can order a DUI defendant to come. A felony defendant has to attend arraignment, plea, the preliminary hearing and sentencing in person; after a waiver of physical presence the earlier hearings may go forward remotely, but felony sentencing may not, "except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law," and no jury or court trial is ever remote.

Showing up without a lawyer is not a barrier: Penal Code section 987(a) obligates the court to appoint one once a defendant says they want counsel and cannot pay for it, and the court's own criminal FAQ points defendants to ask the judge at that same arraignment. The felony deadlines that follow arraignment are covered in the Riverside County criminal court guide.

How does bail and release work for a Moreno Valley arrest?

Before arraignment, the court's bail schedule controls release: two of its four categories usually need only a signed promise to appear, and two carry a bail amount.

The court's 2026 felony and misdemeanor bail schedule, effective January 1, 2026 by its cover and posted on the Fee and Bail Schedules page, is a starting point a judge at the Hall of Justice can depart from. In noncapital cases, In re Kowalczyk (April 30, 2026) limits outright denial of bail to the offenses in California's Constitution, article I, section 12(b) and (c), and requires that money bail generally be set at an amount that is reasonably attainable, though not necessarily easily affordable. In re Humphrey adds that the judge must weigh the arrestee's ability to pay and whether nonfinancial conditions would serve instead. Under Penal Code section 1270(a), someone held in custody and arraigned on a misdemeanor complaint keeps a right to release on their own recognizance unless the judge finds on the record that such release would compromise public safety or would not reasonably assure the person's return to court. Penal Code section 1270.1 adds an open-court hearing before a judge sets bail below the schedule or grants own recognizance release on a serious or violent felony, residential burglary excepted, or on the other charges that section lists.

The firm's answer on Riverside County's bail schedule and release categories covers Cite and Release, Book and Release, Pre-Arraignment Review and Arraignment Review in more depth, and its page on the motion for bail reduction covers how a lawyer asks the court to change the amount.

What happens if I miss a court date?

Not showing up can cost you: a bench warrant, a license suspension, forfeited bail and an assessment of up to $100, plus a new charge if the absence was willful.

That assessment cannot begin, under Penal Code section 1214.1, until the court has mailed a warning notice and at least 20 calendar days have passed. A willful absence meant to evade the court is a separate offense after an own recognizance release (Penal Code section 1320), and after bail in a felony case (section 1320.5). For clearing a warrant, see what to do about a California bench warrant.

Who are the public defender, district attorney and probation contacts for a Moreno Valley case?

The district attorney's Western Region, which covers the Moreno Valley area, works from Riverside, where the public defender's branch sits on Main Street; probation lists Riverside and Moreno Valley offices.

Weighing appointed counsel against a hired lawyer? See the firm's public defender and private attorney comparison. The Sheriff's Inmate Locator shows whether someone is already booked into county custody.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a search for "Moreno Valley Courthouse" lead to a building that does not handle criminal cases?

The court lists only small claims, eviction, civil and traffic matters at the Moreno Valley Courthouse; its filing order sends Moreno Valley felonies and misdemeanors to the Hall of Justice in Riverside instead.

Does the Moreno Valley Courthouse hear traffic tickets?

Yes. The court's own location page lists traffic among the matters served there, separate from the criminal docket at the Hall of Justice.

Is there a jail at or near the Moreno Valley Courthouse?

The court lists no jail at this building. The Sheriff's Robert Presley Detention Center is at 4000 Orange Street in Riverside, near the Hall of Justice, and the Sheriff's Inmate Locator shows where a person is actually held.

Can I appear by video for a criminal hearing arising from a Moreno Valley arrest?

Sometimes, though criminal hearings are generally in person according to the court's Remote Appearances page. Under Penal Code section 977, a misdemeanor defendant who agrees can appear remotely, and a felony defendant who waives physical presence can do so before trial; trials are never remote, and felony sentencing is remote only in postconviction relief proceedings or as otherwise provided by law.

Do I have to hire a lawyer for a Moreno Valley case?

No. Representing yourself is allowed but not required; say so at arraignment if you want a public defender and cannot afford a private lawyer, and the court will appoint one.

How do I get cash bail back after the case ends?

The refund process is automatic once the court orders it, with the check mailed to the bail receipt's named depositor roughly six to eight weeks afterward.

Talk to a lawyer about a Moreno Valley arrest

Because the case itself moves to the Hall of Justice, not the Moreno Valley Courthouse, a local consultation still helps: the Law Offices of David S. Chesley keeps a Moreno Valley office at 13800 Heacock Street, Suite C230, and its Moreno Valley criminal defense lawyer page covers the practice. Consultations are free, the phone, (800) 755-5174, is answered 24/7, payment plans are available and Spanish is spoken; you can also use the consultation form.