Los Angeles Criminal Courthouses We Serve
There are several criminal courthouses in the San Fernando Valley, a northern suburb of Los Angeles County. I have been practicing criminal defense for twenty-five years, since I first started. For several years, there were over 40 courts in Los Angeles County, which made up a large portion of the budget in California.
The lawmakers in Sacramento decided to reduce the number of courts. As a result, there are now only 25, spread out throughout one of the largest counties in the United States. Los Angeles County stretches from Long Beach to Lancaster, and from Pomona to Van Nuys, encompassing all courthouses. So, how many courthouses are there in the San Fernando Valley? Here is a list below.
The San Fernando Valley, CA, Criminal Courts Include:
- San Fernando Courthouse – 900 Third Street, San Fernando, CA 91340 Phone: (818) 256-1800 (map)
- Van Nuys Courthouse – 14400 Erwin Street Mall, Van Nuys, CA 91401 Phone: (818) 989-6900 (map)
- Burbank Courthouse – 300 East Olive, Burbank, CA 91502 Phone: (818) 260-8400 (map)
- Glendale Courthouse – 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206 Phone: (818) 265-6400 (map)
- Sylmar Juvenile Courthouse – 16350 Filbert Street, Sylmar, CA 91342 Phone: (818) 256-1180 (map)
- Pasadena Courthouse – 300 East Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91101 Phone: (626) 396-3300 (map)
It's essential to understand the individual courthouses in the San Fernando Valley if you have a criminal case being heard in one of them. For example, some of them are more conservative than others, meaning they are more rigid in their approach to certain crimes. This makes sense because certain crimes plague some neighborhoods near the court. This means they need to be more challenging, or they will be overrun.
Understanding the unique tendencies of each court is not only important but also crucial to your success. It's like having a map to navigate the legal landscape, and it's a key part of the service I provide.
Understanding the courthouse and the tendencies of the judges and prosecutors is a complex task. That's where your criminal defense attorney, with their experience and knowledge, plays a crucial role. I know these courthouses inside out, having handled countless cases in each court. I know who the judges are, who the prosecutors are, and who their supervisors are. This knowledge enables me to achieve the best possible outcome for you in your criminal case.
When we meet, I want to discuss which court your case is pending in. This will provide me with valuable insight into how the courthouse typically handles a case like yours. This is really what you want to know, right? You want specific information about the judge on your topic and how the court typically handles criminal situations.
For example, if you have a domestic violence case in the Van Nuys Court, you want to know what you are facing. What does this court normally do in domestic violence-related cases? So, it doesn't always matter what type of charge you are – instead, how the court, judges, and prosecutors will deal with your case.
When you come to my office to discuss your case, I will always ask which courthouse it is pending in, what your charges are, and what happened. Once I have all these details, we can plan an effective defense strategy to achieve the best possible outcome for you. That's done through experience.
I've been exclusively practicing as a criminal lawyer for a long time. I've handled thousands of cases in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley Courts. I'm in one of these courts almost every day, and I've usually dealt with the prosecutor and judge assigned to your case – the same people you will be in front of.
So, this is one of the issues we will discuss. We'll discuss what you can do and what information you can provide to help you achieve a favorable outcome in your case. Sometimes, pretrial motions can be very effective weapons in a criminal case.
The information you provide is not only important, but also crucial. It can support a defense strategy and mitigate the circumstances through character letters or letters from doctors. We won't take the same approach in every case, as we will focus our efforts on what will make a difference in your specific situation. Your input is invaluable in this process.
This is crucial because you will often call attorneys who are unfamiliar with that courthouse. How does that help you? It would be best if you had a criminal lawyer who understands the process and how to deal with a case like yours in the court where your case is pending.
District Attorney's Prosecutes Felony Cases
I have been dealing with prosecutors in the Los Angeles court system for the past twenty-five years, so I have a fairly good understanding of the temperament and tendencies of the various prosecutors who staff the system.
When you walk into the court and go down the hall, the first courtroom on the left is the District Attorney's office staffs Department S. This courtroom. They handle all the felonies that come through the courthouse, and the City Attorneys are not really in that courtroom because they don't prosecute felony cases.
If you continue down the hallway on the first floor of the San Fernando courthouse, the next courtroom on the left is the City Attorney's office staff department M. That courtroom. They usually have at least two Deputy City Attorneys on staff, handling cases, dealing with attorneys arguing motions, and discussing whether individuals should be eligible for bail or not.
City Attorney's Prosecutes Misdemeanor Cases
Once a defendant enters a not-guilty plea in a case, it will then be transferred from Department M, as far as the City Attorneys are concerned, to one of the departments upstairs – either Department A or B. These are the trial courts for the City Attorney's office, and the City Attorneys typically prosecute misdemeanors in the San Fernando courthouse.
I am present in the county, but the San Fernando court is one of the locations I visit frequently, and I find the City Attorney's office in San Fernando to be very reasonable and easy to work with. I have had considerable success in handling cases in that particular courthouse. Going back to the District Attorney's office, once you enter a not-guilty Plea in Department S, the case will be moved into Department H, the Early Disposition Court.
Early Disposition Matters
There's a Deputy District Attorney there who handles all early disposition matters. Then, if you can't resolve the case in Department H, the patient will be moved to Department G, where you are entitled to do a preliminary hearing. Other prosecutors are also staffed there. Then, finally, once you do the preliminary hearing, you will be moved into one of the trial courts—some specific prosecutors staff each of the trial courts in the San Fernando court system.
Going back to the City Attorney's office, once you enter that not guilty plea in Department M, you're now stuck in either Department A or Department B, and the case will be resolved there one way or another.
Either there will be a jury trial, in which the jury will decide whether the client is guilty or not guilty, or a negotiated plea will be reached between the defense attorney and one of the San Fernando Deputy City Attorneys who handle misdemeanor cases in that particular courthouse.
So, whether you're dealing with the City Attorney's office or the District Attorney's office, both offices in the San Fernando courthouse are very reasonable. Sometimes, clients have misdemeanors and felonies.
They have prior convictions for a misdemeanor, and they're now being charged with a felony and vice versa. Then, as a defense attorney, you're going to have to deal with both the City Attorney's office and the District Attorney's office. It can get a little complicated. It can be a little complex – again, depending on the circumstances of the case.
I've been doing this for a considerable amount of time. I know the system. I am familiar with the collaborative process between the City Attorney's office and the District Attorney's office in San Fernando, as well as their joint operations. I am also knowledgeable about navigating a case through the San Fernando court system, utilizing both the City Attorney's office and the District Attorney's office. If you have a similar scenario, please give me a call. We'll sit down. We'll go over everything and put together a strategy to successfully achieve your criminal case in the San Fernando court system.
So, pick up the phone and call the Hedding Law Firm. Let's discuss your court situation, and then we will develop a solid plan that makes sense for you and your circumstances, helping you exit the court system as quickly as possible. For more information on your criminal court, click on the link below.
