Court Appearance

You must appear at the Justice Center location as indicated on your citation, release paper, bail or bond paperwork, or arraignment letter from the prosecuting agency. If you are unsure as to your appearance date or the status of the filing, you may access the court’s online case or calendar information for both out of custody and in custody matters. If you need further information on an in custody defendant, you may also access the Orange County Jail website or contact the prosecuting agency; Orange County District Attorney’s office or City Attorney’s office.

On your court date, check the posted calendars for your name and courtroom department number. If your name is on calendar, go directly to the courtroom. If your name is not on the calendar, check in with the clerk’s office for further instructions. Appearances are generally scheduled for 8:30 a.m.; therefore, you should arrive in ample time to check in with the courtroom by 8:30 a.m.

If you wish to advance and/or calendar a case, you should appear in the clerk’s office by 8:00 a.m., Monday through Friday.

Click here for Court Locations

Attorneys seeking to proceed with an out of custody telephone/fax/counter arraignment should review Local Rule of Court 856 for further criteria and allowable violations. Click HERE to access the Informal Arraignment by Attorney form.

In Custodies:

If a defendant has been arrested, he/she will be housed at one of the jail facilities. The defendant may be detained for up to two court days or up to 48 hours excluding weekends and holidays pursuant to California Penal Code 825. The Prosecuting Agency can file a charge(s) against the defendant and the defendant may be arraigned prior to being released. To check status of an in custody you can either check the Orange County Jail, Orange County District Attorney’s office, City Attorney’s office or the court’s online case access web pages.

For courtroom appearances, the following rules are enforced:

• Shirt and shoes are required in the courtroom.
• Food, drinks, and gum chewing are NOT allowed.
• Weapons are NOT allowed in the courthouse. We are a fully secured facility and all visitors are subject to weapons screening upon entering the facility.
• All pagers, cell phones and lap top computers must be turned off in the courtroom.
• The well (between counsel table and the judge’s bench) is a restricted area. Counsel and other parties must request permission to enter the well.
• Counsel table; Plaintiff/People are always assigned closest to the jury box. Defense is farthest from the jury box.
• Any additional instructions or directions as indicated in the courtroom or by the courtroom deputy.