The main San Joaquin County courthouse for criminal cases is the Stockton Courthouse, 180 E. Weber Avenue, where Criminal Services is on the 2nd floor. Branch courts in Lodi and Manteca also hear criminal cases. Your citation, notice to appear or release papers name the court and the date.
This guide is part of our statewide California courthouse and jail directory, covering counties across the state. If you are instead trying to find out whether a family member was just arrested and booked in San Joaquin County, see the San Joaquin County Jail guide for the inmate locator, bail, and visiting information.
Which courthouse hears a San Joaquin County criminal case?
San Joaquin Superior Court's Criminal Division sits at the Stockton Courthouse, with the Lodi and Manteca branch courts also hearing some criminal and traffic cases.
| Courthouse | Address | Phone | Role in criminal cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton Courthouse, Criminal Services | 180 E Weber Ave, 2nd Floor, Stockton, CA 95202 | (209) 992-5691 | Main criminal division |
| Lodi Courthouse, Department L-1 | 217 W. Elm Street, 2nd Floor, Lodi, CA 95240 | (209) 992-5521 | Criminal, plus civil name changes, small claims, civil harassment, and municipal codes |
| Manteca Branch | 315 E. Center Street, Manteca, CA 95336 | (209) 239-1316 | Criminal and traffic |
The Superior Court's Criminal Division has jurisdiction over misdemeanors, preliminary felony hearings, and felony trials, and it conducts arraignments, readiness hearings, trials, motions, sentencing, probation hearings, and mental health proceedings. Court proceedings also take place at the Juvenile Justice Center in French Camp for juvenile matters, a separate facility from the adult courthouses listed above.
How do you look up a San Joaquin County criminal case online?
The court's eCourt Public Portal finds a public case by case number or by a party's name, under a state rule that limits what a name search can use.
- Go to the court's eCourt Public Portal, the search tool its case search page links.
- Search by case number for the fastest result.
- A party-name search is limited under California Rules of Court rule 2.507: it cannot use a date of birth or driver's license number, and it must use a combination of first, middle, and last name.
- If you cannot find the case this way, contact the Criminal Services clerk's office at (209) 992-5691.
What happens at your first court appearance?
At arraignment, a San Joaquin County judge tells you the charge and your right to a lawyer; for someone held in custody, the law sets a strict deadline.
For a person held in custody, 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." When those 48 hours end while court is not in session, the deadline runs through the end of the court's next session on the following court day (Penal Code section 825(a)(2)). For an arrest on a Wednesday after that day's court session has ended, the deadline is the following Friday, if neither day is a court holiday. This is a deadline for reaching a judge, not a charging deadline, and it does not by itself guarantee release. Someone cited and released instead appears on the date in the citation or notice to appear.
By law, the judge announces the charge right away and confirms your right to a lawyer at that hearing and every one after it (Penal Code section 858(a)); for a felony, you also receive a copy of the complaint, are asked if you want counsel, and get reasonable time to send for one (Penal Code section 859). Under Penal Code section 988, the court, or the clerk or prosecutor under its direction, then reads the charging document to you, gives you a copy (on a misdemeanor complaint, only if you ask for one), and asks how you plead.
San Joaquin Superior Court's Local Rules authorize its Bail Committee, under Penal Code section 1269b(d), to prepare, adopt, and annually revise the county's Uniform County Bail Schedule. Two schedule documents currently exist online: the 2025 Uniform County Bail Schedule, effective August 15, 2025 (revised October 28, 2025), and a newer one marked TENTATIVE, effective July 23, 2026. Confirm on the court's criminal division page which one currently applies before relying on a specific dollar amount, and remember that a judge can set a different amount at arraignment. Under In re Humphrey (2021), a judge who sets money bail must consider the person's ability to pay, and whether nonfinancial conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the person's return to court. Under In re Kowalczyk (April 2026), in noncapital cases bail may be denied only for the offenses in article I, section 12(b) and (c) of the California Constitution, and money bail must generally be reasonably attainable.
For a fuller walkthrough of what happens at an arraignment anywhere in California, see What Happens at an Arraignment in California, and for how bail amounts are set generally, see How Bail Amounts Are Set in California.
Can you appear remotely in a San Joaquin County criminal case?
San Joaquin's Local Rules have no criminal remote-appearance rule, but the court posts an optional criminal form to ask; a judge grants or denies each request.
San Joaquin Superior Court's Local Rules, effective July 1, 2026, include a remote-appearance rule for Civil cases (Rule 3-103) and for Family Law cases (Rule 7-116), but the Criminal chapter (Rule 2, sections 2-100 through 2-115) has no remote-appearance or video-conference provision. The court's Local Forms page does post an optional Application and Order for Remote Appearance (Criminal), effective July 26, 2024: the person asking gives the reasons and the hearing date and says whether opposing counsel was told, and a judicial officer either grants it, allowing an appearance by the court's bridge conference line, or denies it, in which case a personal appearance in court is required. Penal Code section 977 sets when a defendant must be present; a felony defendant, for example, may not appear remotely at sentencing, except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law. Until a judge grants a request, plan on appearing in person.
What should you bring, and how do you request an interpreter?
Bring proper identification, your citation or promise to appear, and proof you followed any court orders or probation terms, and ask for an interpreter as early as possible.
Court staff cannot give legal advice, the court's criminal page says; for information and forms it points to the San Joaquin County Law Library and the court's Self-Help Center (formerly the Pro Per Clinic), and for advice about your own case, ask your attorney.
San Joaquin Superior Court says interpreters are available for litigants, defendants, and witnesses in all cases, and the California Constitution separately guarantees an interpreter to anyone charged with a crime who cannot understand English, at every stage of the case ("A person unable to understand English who is charged with a crime has a right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings," Cal. Const., art. I, section 14). Request one by calling the court's Interpreter Coordinator at (209) 992-5364, in person at a clerk's window, or at the hearing itself. The cost is charged to the court, not to you (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)).
Who are San Joaquin County's public defender, district attorney, and probation department?
San Joaquin County has separate offices for the public defender, the district attorney, and probation, each with its own address and phone number.
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| San Joaquin County Public Defender | 102 S. San Joaquin Street, Room 1, Stockton, CA 95202 | (209) 468-2730 |
| Court Assigned Counsel (conflict cases) | 343 East Main Street, Suite 408, Stockton, CA 95202 | (209) 948-0125 |
| San Joaquin County District Attorney, Ron Freitas | 222 East Weber Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202 | (209) 468-2400 |
| San Joaquin County Probation, Adult Probation | 24 S. Hunter Street, Stockton, CA 95202 | (209) 468-4100 |
If you cannot afford a lawyer, ask the court to appoint the Public Defender's Office at your arraignment; when a conflict keeps that office off a case, the court instead appoints Court Assigned Counsel. The Probation Department supervises people placed on Pretrial Programming, Adult Probation, or Local Community Supervision.
Does San Joaquin County have collaborative courts?
San Joaquin Superior Court has run adult collaborative court programs since 1995, including Drug Court, DUI Drug Court, Veterans Court and Parole Reentry Court.
The court has operated several adult collaborative court programs since 1995: Parole Reentry Court, Drug Court, DUI Drug Court, Dependency Drug Court, Veterans Court, and AB109 Compliance Courts. The Collaborative Courts office can be reached at 180 E Weber Ave., 5th Floor, Stockton, CA 95202, phone (209) 992-5452. Each program has its own eligibility rules, so ask your attorney whether a specific charge and history could qualify.
San Joaquin County's cities each raise different concerns depending on the charge involved. See our California criminal defense practice overview, or our Stockton theft lawyer page if that is the kind of case you are facing.
Talk to a lawyer about your San Joaquin County case
A San Joaquin County criminal case runs on the court's own deadlines, from the 48-hour rule through your assigned court date. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, 24 hours a day, with payment plans and service in Spanish. Call (800) 755-5174, or request a free consultation online.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I park for the Stockton Courthouse?
Metered street spaces surround the courthouse, and public garages sit to the north, east and west of the building. Garage parking is charged by the hour, and the attendants take cash only.
Why can't I search a San Joaquin County case by date of birth?
California Rules of Court rule 2.507 keeps dates of birth and driver's license numbers out of public party searches, so the portal searches by first, middle and last name, or by case number. For help finding a criminal case number, call Criminal Services at (209) 992-5691.
How much is bail in San Joaquin County?
The court's Bail Committee adopts a Uniform County Bail Schedule each year under Penal Code section 1269b(d). Confirm the current effective schedule with the court, since a newer one may be posted as tentative, and a judge can always set a different amount at arraignment.
Can my lawyer appear for me on a San Joaquin County misdemeanor?
Usually. Penal Code section 977 lets a person charged only with a misdemeanor appear through a lawyer. A domestic violence misdemeanor still requires you at arraignment and sentencing, and on a misdemeanor DUI the court may order you to attend arraignment, plea or sentencing. Ask your lawyer before missing any date.
Do I need a lawyer at my first court appearance?
It is your right. State law guarantees the right to counsel at every stage of a San Joaquin County case, and the judge must tell you so at your arraignment (Penal Code section 858(a)). Cannot afford a lawyer? Ask the court to appoint the Public Defender, or Court Assigned Counsel if that office has a conflict.
Is a court interpreter free in a San Joaquin County criminal case?
Yes. In criminal actions, the interpreter's pay is a charge against the court, not the defendant (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)). Ask early: the court warns that if no interpreter is available at the hearing, it may continue your matter.
What happens if I miss my San Joaquin County court date?
The court can issue a bench warrant once you fail to appear as required (Penal Code section 978.5(a)). Call your attorney the moment you realize you missed a date, or think you are about to.