West Justice Center in Westminster: Court Dates, Bail and Contacts

The Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center, at 8141 13th Street in Westminster, is the Orange County Superior Court building for criminal, traffic and minor-offense cases from nine cities, including Huntington Beach, Garden Grove and Westminster itself. Whatever justice center is printed on your citation or arraignment letter controls, not the city where an arrest happened.

Which criminal cases does the West Justice Center hear, and which cities does it serve?

Nine Orange County cities send their traffic, minor-offense and criminal matters to West; a felony case from any of them can still have hearings in Santa Ana.

The court's own location page names Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster as the cities West serves. Santa Ana's Central Justice Center separately handles "various felony and mental health hearings" for every Orange County city, so a serious felony that started in one of West's nine cities is not automatically finished at West; some proceedings in that same case can be set at Central instead.

Table: West Justice Center and the companion felony/mental-health building, from the court's own pages.

The firm's Orange County criminal court guide covers the county's other three justice centers, and its guide to which courthouse hears an Orange County case walks through the countywide rules in more depth.

How do I find my case or court date at the West Justice Center?

Your own paperwork usually already has a date and department; the court's online tools confirm or fill in whatever is missing before you drive to Westminster.

1. Look at your citation, cite-out slip, bail receipt or release paperwork first; the case number, department and date are frequently printed right there.
2. The court's Cases on Calendar tool lets you set the case category to Criminal, choose West Justice Center as the location, and search by case number or last name; it will not show a hearing scheduled more than six weeks out.
3. Criminal and Traffic Case Access pulls hearing dates and dispositions for a case you already have a number for, once you accept the court's terms; the court is explicit that this tool is not the official record.
4. No case number yet? Case Name Search covers that, through a free account you create and sign in to.
5. For someone currently in custody, the Sheriff's Inmate Information System also needs an account, and it will not list the actual charges.
6. If none of that resolves it, call criminal and traffic operations at (657) 622-8459; the line is automated around the clock and staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

What happens at arraignment at the West Justice Center?

At arraignment the court reads the charge and takes a plea, and a person held in custody must reach a judge within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays.

Plan to arrive well before 8:30 a.m., the time the court says criminal appearances are generally scheduled, and check in with your courtroom; if your case is not on the posted calendar, the Criminal Division Clerk's Office has instructions. The magistrate has to explain the charge and the right to counsel at the first appearance, and a defendant who wants a lawyer and cannot pay for one is assigned counsel under Penal Code 987(a); the court's Obtaining an Attorney page mentions a Financial Affidavit, form CR-105, as part of that process.

Penal Code 825(a)(1) is the source of that 48-hour rule:

"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 the 48 hours end while court is not in session, Penal Code 825(a)(2) carries the deadline through the end of the next court session on the following court day; a Wednesday arrest after that day's session allows until Friday, unless either day is a court holiday. Someone cited and released rather than held simply goes to court on the citation's date. A misdemeanor defendant held in custody at arraignment has a right to own-recognizance release under Penal Code 1270(a), unless the court finds on the record that releasing the person would risk public safety or would not reasonably assure the person's return to court. In re Kowalczyk (California Supreme Court, April 30, 2026) permits denying bail in a noncapital case only when a charge falls under California Constitution article I, section 12(b) or (c), and says money bail "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable"; In re Humphrey has the judge weigh ability to pay and nonfinancial options first. Before a judge sets bail on a warrantless arrest, the court's 2026 Uniform Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, supplies the amount, and a judge can change it; the firm's explanation of how California bail amounts are set covers the details.

Can I appear remotely for a hearing at the West Justice Center?

Rarely. The court requires in-person criminal appearances unless a courtroom approves a remote one, and its Dept. CJ1 exception takes select hearings from Central, Harbor and North, not West.

The Superior Court's Remote Appearance Information page states the criminal rule without qualification: "In-person appearances are required, except for appearances in Dept. CJ1 and remote appearances approved by the courtroom. Contact the assigned court clerk to request a remote appearance." Dept. CJ1 is a courtroom inside the Men's Central Jail complex in Santa Ana, separate from the West Justice Center building itself. Under Penal Code 977, a misdemeanor-only defendant can appear by counsel and, with agreement, remotely for most steps short of trial, though domestic violence and Penal Code 273.6 defendants must be present for arraignment and sentencing and a DUI defendant may be ordered to be present; a felony defendant must be physically present at arraignment, plea, the preliminary hearing and the taking of evidence unless a waiver covers that step, cannot appear remotely at sentencing except for postconviction relief proceedings and as otherwise provided by law, and, like everyone, cannot appear remotely for a jury or court trial.

A narrower, phone-based option exists only for misdemeanors: Local Rule 856 lets an attorney in good standing enter a not-guilty plea and set pretrial and jury trial dates by phone or fax instead of appearing in person. West takes these calls at (657) 622-6957 and faxes at (657) 622-8064, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on court days only. The rule shuts this route for a defendant in custody on the arraignment day, after a missed court date or an arrest warrant, and for listed charges, among them misdemeanor domestic violence and a DUI charged with a prior DUI.

Getting to the West Justice Center: address, hours and security

The building runs on weekday business hours, screens everyone for weapons before letting them in, and keeps ordinary courtroom rules once a hearing starts.

Table: West Justice Center contacts and hours, from the court's own location page.

West is a full security facility: every visitor goes through weapons screening, and hand-carried bags and items are x-rayed. Items the Sheriff's Department treats as potentially dangerous, including knives, pocketknives, scissors, corkscrews, mace, pepper spray and knitting needles, are not allowed past the door. Once inside a courtroom, wear a shirt and shoes, keep food, drinks and gum outside, and silence or power off phones and other devices. The court's own parking map covers nearby public lots, and the Traffic mailing address for West is 8141 13th Street, Westminster, CA 92683-4593.

Which public defender, district attorney and probation offices serve the West Justice Center?

The District Attorney's West branch shares the courthouse address, the Public Defender's West Court office is at 14120 Beach Boulevard, and Probation posts resident officers there.

Table: West Justice Center legal offices, from each office's own contact page.

Someone who cannot pay for a lawyer should ask the court for one at the first appearance; the Public Defender's office may ask for a financial declaration, and when it has a conflict of interest, such as representing a co-defendant already, the county's Alternate Defender typically steps in instead. Resident officers from Orange County Probation cover West: that team "represents probation at the County's four regional Superior Court Justice Centers: Central, Harbor, North, and West." The court's collaborative-courts page lists the Community Court Building as home to the county's Mental Health Court programs and Homeless Outreach Court, sends Young Adult Court to the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, and gives no building for Adult Drug Court or DUI Court; none of those programs is placed at West. The firm's guide to Orange County's collaborative courts covers how referral and eligibility work for each program.

Talk to a lawyer about a West Justice Center case, and the firm's Huntington Beach offices

The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free consultation, payment plans and service in Spanish, and is available 24/7 for a case tied to the West Justice Center. The firm has two Huntington Beach offices:

Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc. 17011 Beach Boulevard, Suite 900 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 (714) 698-5416

Law Offices of David S. Chesley, Inc. 18582 Beach Blvd, Suite 21 Huntington Beach, CA 92648 (714) 698-5416

Call (800) 755-5174 or use the firm's contact page to reach a criminal defense lawyer for a case in Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Westminster or any other city the West Justice Center serves.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center the same building as the West Justice Center?

Yes. The court's location page calls it the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center, and its other pages, such as the informal arraignment listing, simply say West Justice Center.

Can my attorney handle a misdemeanor arraignment at West without me present?

Usually yes, through the informal phone or fax arraignment process above, as long as you are not in custody that day, have no warrant or failure to appear in the case, and your charge is not one of the excluded ones, such as a DUI with a prior DUI already alleged.

Does a case at the West Justice Center decide my license suspension after a DUI stop?

Not on its own. DMV handles the suspension as a civil matter, apart from the charge under Vehicle Code 23152 or 23153, but if you are acquitted, Vehicle Code 13353.2(e) has DMV reinstate a driving privilege it suspended for the test result. A hearing request on the suspension is due within 10 days under Vehicle Code 13558(b); see the firm's DMV hearing defense page for that process.

What are the consequences of missing a court date at the West Justice Center?

A bench warrant can issue under Penal Code 978.5, posted bail can be forfeited under Penal Code 1305, and a willful failure meant to avoid the court can be a separate crime on top of the original charge. The court's self-help page says to appear or post bail on a warrant at the Criminal Operations Department of the justice center that ordered it, by 8:00 a.m. on a weekday.

How do I ask for an interpreter at a West Justice Center hearing?

Ask the Criminal Division Clerk's Office ahead of time, or ask in the courtroom itself on the day of the hearing; either way works, and the California Constitution gives a person charged with a crime who cannot understand English the right to an interpreter throughout the proceedings.

Is this the same courthouse as the one some people call "Westminster court"?

Yes. The Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center is the only Orange County Superior Court criminal courthouse in Westminster, so "Westminster court" and the West Justice Center refer to the same building at 8141 13th Street.