San Diego Central Courthouse: A Guide for Criminal Cases Downtown

Felony and misdemeanor cases from the San Diego Superior Court's Central Division are heard at the Central Courthouse, 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101. The Central Division covers most of the City of San Diego, from downtown and La Jolla to Mira Mesa, Rancho Bernardo and Carmel Valley, along with the City of Poway.

Which courthouse hears a case depends on where the offense is alleged to have happened, not where you live. This page covers how that works for the Central Division, where to go inside the building, and what the first court dates involve. If you were just arrested and need the booking, phone call and bail basics first, start with our guide Arrested in San Diego: What Happens in the First 24 Hours.

Which criminal cases go to the Central Courthouse?

The court's local rules require prosecutors to file a criminal case in the division where the crime is alleged to have occurred, using the zip code list published on the court's website. Prosecutors can ask the supervising judge for permission to file somewhere else, but they have to show good cause. According to that list, the Central Division includes:

• Downtown and the central neighborhoods: Hillcrest, North Park, Normal Heights, City Heights, Logan Heights, Old Town and Mission Valley.
• The coast: Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla.
• Mid-city, eastern and southeastern neighborhoods: Clairemont, Linda Vista, Serra Mesa, Tierrasanta, Navajo, Grantville, College Grove, Encanto and Paradise Hills.
• The northern part of the city: University City, Sorrento Valley, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Bernardo and Carmel Valley.
• The City of Poway. It is a separate city, but the court's list places it in the Central Division.

Exceptions that send cases elsewhere

Some places look central on a map but have their criminal cases heard somewhere else. San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and Nestor are part of the City of San Diego, but the zip code list puts them in the South County Division in Chula Vista. Coronado and Del Mar appear as Central on the list for other kinds of cases, but the local rules send criminal cases from Coronado to South County and from Del Mar to the North County courthouse in Vista.

Three other rules matter here. Grand jury indictments are returned and filed in the Central Division. Cases against minors go to the Juvenile Court at 2851 Meadow Lark Drive in Kearny Mesa, not to the Central Courthouse. And traffic tickets and other minor offenses from the Central area are handled at the court's Kearny Mesa facility, 8950 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. A DUI, though, is a criminal case, so it goes to the Central Courthouse.

Where do you go inside the Central Courthouse?

The Central Courthouse opened in late 2017. It houses the Central Division's criminal, family, probate and appeals operations along with court administration. The building opens at 7:30 a.m.

It is not the Hall of Justice. The Hall of Justice, at 330 West Broadway, holds the civil courtrooms, the civil and small claims business offices and the District Attorney's main office. Both buildings are downtown, so check the street address on your paperwork before you go.

• Felony business office: first floor.
• Misdemeanor business office and the Substance Abuse Assessment Unit: second floor.
• Older records: 14th floor.
• Business office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except court holidays. Criminal division phone: (619) 844-2400. The court says many business-office phones are answered from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Parking: the court says there are public lots around the courthouse that charge a fee, metered parking on the surrounding streets, and a limited number of disabled street spaces.

What happens at an arraignment at the Central Courthouse?

The arraignment is the first court date. The court describes it this way: you are told what you are charged with, advised of your constitutional rights, and appointed a lawyer if you cannot afford one. You enter a plea of not guilty, guilty or no contest, and the court deals with bail or release on your own recognizance.

If you are in custody, Penal Code section 825 requires that you be brought before a judge without unnecessary delay, and generally within 48 hours after arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays. If that time runs out during a court session, you can be arraigned at any point in that session; if it runs out while court is not in session, the deadline can carry over to the next court session, though special timing rules apply and a lawyer can check how they affect a particular arrest. A general order the court issued on October 6, 2026 sets in-custody arraignments on 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. calendars and gives prosecutors filing deadlines before each one. Our guide to the first 24 hours explains what families can do during that wait.

If you were cited or released, your paperwork gives the date and time. Under the same general order, the complaint in an out-of-custody case is generally due at least three court days before the arraignment. If you were released after posting bail, the complaint instead falls under the order's in-custody deadlines, which can be as late as the day of the arraignment, and the court can shorten the three-day period for good cause. So a complaint that is not on file three days ahead is not necessarily late. The court's online Court Index lets you search by your name or the District Attorney case number and shows the case number and the courthouse where the file is kept. On the day, the court tells defendants to go straight to the assigned courtroom, and to go to the clerk's office if their name is not on that day's calendar.

Who prosecutes cases heard downtown

The court's own description of criminal cases says the San Diego City Attorney prosecutes misdemeanors in central San Diego, while the District Attorney handles misdemeanors in the branch court areas. The City Attorney's office describes its criminal division as prosecuting misdemeanors and infractions committed within City limits. Felonies are prosecuted by the District Attorney, whose central office is in the Hall of Justice. The court notes that the prosecuting agency decides whether charges are filed at all, which is why it matters which office has your case.

What comes after the arraignment?

In a misdemeanor case, the court describes a pretrial or readiness hearing next. Discovery is exchanged, motions can be filed (to dismiss, to set aside the complaint, or to suppress evidence), and the plea may change. If the case does not resolve, it goes to a jury trial or a trial before a judge, and then to sentencing if there is a conviction.

A felony case adds steps. At the preliminary hearing, a judge decides whether there is enough evidence to hold you for trial. If there is, the prosecution files a document called an information, you are arraigned on it, and the case moves to a readiness conference, motions and trial. Our page Charged With a Crime in San Diego? What Happens Next walks through each stage in more detail.

Some cases move onto treatment-focused calendars. The court lists an adult drug court in each of its four divisions, including Central, and its October 2026 list of out-of-custody criminal departments includes a military diversion department and a mandatory supervision department at Central. In DUI cases, judges refer defendants to the Substance Abuse Assessment Unit on the second floor for an evaluation and a referral to the right DUI program.

Do you have to be there in person?

It depends on the charge. Under Penal Code section 977, a person charged only with a misdemeanor can generally appear through a lawyer. The exceptions are misdemeanor domestic violence cases and misdemeanor violations of a protective or restraining order (Penal Code 273.6), where you must be present for arraignment and sentencing and whenever the judge orders you to come in to hear the terms of a protective order, and DUI cases, where the judge can order you to be present. In a felony case, you have to be physically present at the arraignment, the plea, the preliminary hearing, the parts of the trial where evidence is taken, and sentencing, unless a remote appearance is allowed under the statute.

The court says it may allow in-person or remote appearances in certain circumstances, and it posts video links for its out-of-custody criminal departments. Do not assume yours is one of them. Unless the court or your lawyer has told you otherwise, plan to be in the courtroom.

If you are going in person, the court asks you to arrive at least 30 minutes early. At the lobby entrance, tell the deputy that you are there for a criminal hearing. If the Public Defender represents you, you will be directed to the Public Defender's table in the lobby. If you hired a lawyer, follow their instructions about where to meet.

What should you bring, and what should you leave at home?

The court's checklist for criminal court dates:

• Your case number and photo identification, such as a driver's license. The court asks that you not give nicknames or aliases.
• Your citation or courtesy notice, plus any receipts, bail bond paperwork or jail release papers.
• A way to pay fines and fees if the case might resolve that day.
• If you need an interpreter, submit the court's Interpreter Request form (ADM-348) as far ahead of the hearing as you can.

Every visitor goes through the Sheriff's weapons screening: a metal detector for you and an x-ray or hand search for bags. Firearms, knives of any length, stun guns and mace are not allowed, even if you have a license to carry them, and the Sheriff will not hold them for you. Allow extra time for the line. A court order also bars taking photos or video anywhere in the courthouse without written permission.

Inside the courtroom, shirts and shoes are required, tank tops and T-shirts are not allowed, cell phones must be off, and food, drinks and gum are not permitted. The court advises against bringing small children, since some departments do not allow anyone under 18, though a children's waiting room may be available. It also notes there may not be room in the courtroom for extra people.

Where are people arrested in the Central area held?

The Sheriff describes San Diego Central Jail, 1173 Front Street, as the main intake point for men arrested in San Diego County. For finding someone in custody, visiting and the other jails, see San Diego Criminal Case Resources: Courts, Jails, Bail and Help. For how bail and own-recognizance release work, see Understanding Bail in San Diego: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Talking to a lawyer about a Central Courthouse case

The Law Office of Marc S. Kohnen handles felony and misdemeanor cases at the Central Courthouse and has defended people in San Diego criminal cases since 2008. If you have a court date downtown, or think charges may be filed, you can call (619) 398-2500 to talk about where your case stands before the first hearing.

Questions People Ask