Which Court Will Be Handling My Santa Clarita Case?

If you or a loved one is arrested in the Santa Clarita Valley, you may have questions about which court will handle your case. Because of the restructuring of California's Justice system, as well as local changes in Los Angeles Superior Courts, including Santa Clarita Court, cases will be moving around a bit.

In September, we noted that misdemeanor Santa Clarita Valley cases would remain in the Santa Clarita Court, and that felony cases from the Santa Clarita Valley were now being handled in the San Fernando Courthouse. This may change in the near future, as the Los Angeles Superior Court has decided to move forward with new construction of a courthouse near the 5 and 126 freeways. While the construction will likely take a number of years to complete, I would expect a transition and closure of the old Santa Clarita Courthouse well before the new court is operational.

However, even if you have been arrested for a felony in the SCV, your case may still be handled locally in the Santa Clarita Court. The outcome depends on the District Attorney's evaluation of the felony arrest.

If your criminal defense attorney communicates with the D.A. prior to filing of charges, and presents them with appropriate information about you and your arrest, the D.A. may consider less-serious misdemeanor charges. Thus, if the D.A. determines that your felony arrest should only be filed as a misdemeanor, your case will be handled in the Santa Clarita Criminal Courthouse.

In other cases where the charges cannot be filed at misdemeanor levels, the D.A. has the option to either file the case as a felony, or reject the case for filing of criminal charges. In some cases, if you have a strong affirmative defense, your Santa Clarita Defense Attorney may contact the D.A. prior to filing, to request a reject of your case, based on evidence of your potential defense.

I have found that the D.A. will consider all relevant evidence in determining how to proceed with an arrest. Your attorney can advise you on the best strategies and options for your case.