What should I expect at the Solano County Courthouse?

Solano County's criminal courthouses are in Fairfield, the Law and Justice Center at 530 Union Ave and the Hall of Justice at 600 Union Ave, and in Vallejo, the Solano Justice Building at 321 Tuolumne St. Your citation or court notice names the place to appear, and the court's Setting Guide shows which department hears each calendar.

Which courthouse hears a criminal case in Solano County?

Solano's court hears criminal cases in two cities: Fairfield, in the Law and Justice Center and Hall of Justice on Union Avenue, and Vallejo, at the Solano Justice Building.

The court's Setting Guide for criminal court lists each criminal department with its courtroom, building and weekly calendars: most Fairfield criminal departments sit in the Law and Justice Center, with the Hall of Justice as their mailing address, and the Vallejo departments sit in the Solano Justice Building. Your citation or court notice names the place to appear (Penal Code section 853.6). DUI charges are filed with the Criminal Division. The Criminal Division answers phones Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and takes drop-in or appointment visits from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you are trying to find out whether a family member is already in custody before a first appearance, see our Solano County Jail guide; for other counties, see our courthouse and jail guides by county.

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

Solano County Superior Court's Public Portal lets you look up a criminal case by case number or by name once you create a user account on the portal.

1. Open the court's Public Portal and choose "Register"; the court's portal instructions say you need an account, made with your email address, a password, your name and a phone number.
2. Click "Case Search" and enter the case number, the easiest search, or a last or first name of at least two letters; you can also limit the search to a filing date range.
3. Click the blue case number to open the case, then the tabs to see its information.
4. Confidential cases and documents are not on the portal. To find a court date without searching online, the court's own FAQ points you to the Criminal Division clerk's office, in person or by phone, during the hours above.

What happens at your first court appearance?

At arraignment, the judge tells you the charge against you and explains your right to a lawyer, and California law sets a strict deadline for reaching that first hearing.

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." If those 48 hours run out while court is not in session, the deadline carries through the whole of the next court session on the following court day, under Penal Code section 825(a)(2), and someone arrested on a Wednesday after court has closed for the day must be brought before a judge by Friday, unless the Wednesday or the Friday is a court holiday. This is a deadline for reaching a judge, not a deadline for filing charges, and it does not promise release.

Solano's own Superior Court explains that at your first court date, usually your arraignment, you may ask the judge to appoint a Public Defender, and the court decides your eligibility at that hearing. State law backs that up: the judge must tell you the charge and your right to counsel at every stage (Penal Code section 858(a)), and on a felony you are also handed a copy of the complaint and given a reasonable chance to arrange a lawyer (Penal Code section 859).

Solano County's current bail schedule took effect January 14, 2026, adopted under Penal Code section 1269b. A schedule figure is only where a case starts. Posting the scheduled amount is not the only outcome available: the California Supreme Court's In re Humphrey decision from 2021 requires a judge to consider a person's actual ability to pay before relying on money bail, and In re Kowalczyk, decided by the same court in April 2026, held that outside capital cases bail can be denied outright only for the offenses in California Constitution article I, section 12(b) and (c), and that money bail a judge sets must generally be reasonably attainable for the person in front of them, not just the printed number. Read more in how California bail amounts are set and what happens at a California arraignment.

Can you appear remotely in a Solano County criminal case?

Sometimes: the court decides whether a hearing is eligible for Zoom and emails an invitation when it is, and state law rules out a remote trial for any defendant.

Solano's Remote Appearance page posts Zoom links for Department 2's Thursday morning, Thursday afternoon and Friday calendars. The court's Zoom guidelines, linked from that page, say the court determines whether a matter is eligible for Zoom and emails the invitation to the attorney of record or to a person representing themselves; no invitation may mean the hearing is not eligible, so contact the department to confirm. Penal Code section 977 sets the outer limits. In a misdemeanor-only case you may appear through your lawyer, and with your agreement most proceedings other than a trial may be held remotely (Penal Code section 977(a)(1)), but a defendant charged with a misdemeanor involving domestic violence, or a misdemeanor violation of Penal Code section 273.6, must be present for arraignment and sentencing, and in a DUI case the judge may order the defendant to be present (Penal Code section 977(a)(2) and (3)). In a felony case you must be physically present at arraignment, the plea, the preliminary hearing, the evidence portions of trial and sentencing unless you waive that right, and with a waiver some proceedings may be held remotely (Penal Code section 977(b)(1) and (c)(1)(A)); no defendant may appear remotely for a jury or court trial, and a felony defendant may not appear remotely at sentencing except in postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law (Penal Code section 977(c)(1)(D) and (E)). Ask the department or your lawyer whether your hearing qualifies before assuming you can join by phone or video.

What should you bring, how do you get there, and how do you ask for an interpreter?

Bring photo identification and your court papers, expect security screening at the door, and ask court staff for an interpreter, provided at no cost in a criminal case.

The Criminal Division's own list of what to bring to court includes photo identification such as a driver's license or passport, a copy of the citation, the notice of hearing, bond or cash bail receipts, jail release paperwork, proof that you have complied with court orders, and a way to pay fines and fees. Every visitor passes through security screening with metal detectors. The court says its three Fairfield courthouses are all downtown, with a parking garage that has limited time zone parking next to the Solano County Government Center at the corner of Delaware and Jefferson Streets, and the Suisun/Fairfield Amtrak station at 177 Main Street, Suisun City, less than a ten-minute walk away. The Vallejo courthouse has its own lot, entered from Tuolumne Street or Virginia Street, and SolTrans Route 4 serves it from the Vallejo Transit Center. Details are on the court's locations page.

California's Constitution gives anyone charged with a crime who cannot understand English the right to an interpreter at every stage of the case (Cal. Const., art. I, section 14), and Evidence Code section 752(b)(1) makes the interpreter's pay a charge against the court rather than the defendant. Solano County's own Superior Court says it expanded interpreter services on January 1, 2015, offers them in criminal and other case types, and takes requests through court staff.

Who are Solano County's public defender, district attorney, and probation department?

Solano County's Public Defender, District Attorney, and Probation Department each keep separate Fairfield offices with their own phone lines, listed below.

The Public Defender's Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you cannot afford a lawyer, ask the judge to appoint the Public Defender at your arraignment.

Does Solano County have collaborative or treatment courts?

Yes. The court's Treatment Courts list includes Adult Drug Court, Mental Health Diversion Court, Veterans Treatment Court and Parole Reentry Court for people with criminal or parole cases who qualify.

Solano County Superior Court lists six treatment courts under one Treatment Courts section: Adult Drug Court, Dependency Drug Court, Mental Health Diversion Court, Parole Reentry Court, Real DUI Court In Schools Program, and Veterans Treatment Court. Two are not for people facing charges: Dependency Drug Court helps parents in treatment reunify with children removed from their care, and the Real DUI Court in Schools Program stages a real young adult DUI trial at a high school for students. The court describes its Mental Health Diversion Court as a non-adversarial, team-based alternative for eligible defendants with serious mental illness who choose to participate instead of having their case proceed through the regular court process.

Solano County's criminal cases cover many different charges. See our criminal defense lawyer page, or our city pages for Fairfield, Vallejo, and Vacaville.

Frequently asked questions

How soon will someone held in the Solano County Jail see a judge?

A person kept in custody must be taken before a judge within 48 hours of the arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays (Penal Code section 825(a)(1)). When those hours end while court is not in session, the limit runs to the end of the next court session on the following court day; for a Wednesday arrest after court has closed, the hearing comes by Friday, unless the Wednesday or the Friday is a court holiday.

Can bail be lowered before the first court date in Solano County?

A request can be made before arraignment: under Penal Code section 1269c the defendant, or a lawyer, friend or family member, may ask a judge for lower bail than the schedule sets or for release on own recognizance, except for charges listed in Penal Code section 1270.1. Whether to grant it is the judge's decision.

How much is bail in Solano County?

Solano County's bail schedule, effective January 14, 2026, sets a starting figure. A judge can set a different amount at your first appearance; In re Humphrey requires the judge to consider your ability to pay, and In re Kowalczyk says money bail must generally be reasonably attainable for you, not just the schedule number.

Do I need a lawyer at my first court appearance?

It is your right, not a requirement. The judge must explain your right to counsel at your Solano County arraignment, and you can ask the judge to appoint the Public Defender if you cannot afford to hire one; the court decides eligibility at that hearing.

What happens if I miss my Solano County court date?

A bench warrant may be issued for failing to appear. The court's own guidance says you can contact the Criminal Clerk's office to ask about scheduling a new date, and a misdemeanor case that is still eligible is typically given a new date within two weeks. Talk to a lawyer immediately either way.

Talk to a lawyer about your Solano County case

However your Solano County case reached this point, talk to a lawyer before 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.