Stockton Court

Located in the County of San Joaquin, the Stockton Court (San Joaquin Superior Court) is located at downtown at 222 East Weber Avenue. This courthouse handles criminal and civil cases as well as family law, probate, and juvenile court matters. This court allows online access to pay certain fines, file and read courthouse documents, and fill out various forms required in legal cases.  If you or a loved one are awaiting trial here, you’ll want the help of a good Stockton Bail Bonds company.

Criminal Court

Stockton’s criminal court handles misdemeanor cases and felony cases. People may appear at this division of the Stockton Court for minor violations such as traffic ticket disputes or for major federal crimes like drug violations. Defendants accused of criminal violations appear at this courthouse to be arraigned, or to hear the charges that are formally being brought against them. Their case will remain at this courthouse throughout the trial process. People who have to appear at this courthouse for a criminal matter should bring proper identification, a copy of their citation and Promise to Appear, and any documentation to prove they have complied with the judge’s order or terms of their probation.

Civil Court

The civil division of the Stockton Court handles civil cases in which one party brings a lawsuit against another person for damages to property, violations of contracts, or other non-criminal matters. A civil lawsuit handled by this division will be assigned to a civil court judge for the duration of a trial or until the lawsuit settles or is dismissed. This courthouse allows online filing of motions and other pleadings, but some judges require lawyers to provide a printed courtesy copy to the clerk of the court. People who are required to appear at the civil courthouse must either physically come to the courthouse or make arrangements for a telephonic appearance. The court allows telephone appearances only under certain circumstances and requires more than five days’ notice.

Family Court

The Stockton Family Law division primarily handles child custody cases and mediation cases for families. This division of the Stockton courthouse offers a mediation program in English and Spanish for families who are going through divorce proceedings, who need to come to agreements about terms of a separation, or who are working through child custody agreements. The mediation process can benefit the whole family by providing counseling to adults about how to keep the children from being affected by legal disputes and by helping children to adjust to the new arrangements.

Probate Court

The Stockton Probate Court handles wills, estates, and guardianship issues that arise after a person has passed away. The court is able to help distribute the deceased person’s assets according to the person’s prearranged will or estate plan. This courthouse also assists with custody or guardianship issues when a probate case involves minor children who need to be looked after by a surviving family member. In some cases, this courthouse must appoint a conservator to look after a person’s financial assets in situations where a legal adult cannot properly care for himself or his property.

Juvenile Court

Stockton’s juvenile court division is responsible for hearing most cases that involve minors. Like most California courts, the criminal court for adults has different rules and sentencing guidelines than the juvenile court that handles criminal violations by minors. The juvenile court aims to get rehabilitation services for juveniles so that the minor can reenter society as a reformed and upstanding member of the community. In addition to criminal matters, the juvenile court handles cases in which children are abused or neglected and must be removed from the home. In these cases, social workers and other trained professionals are able to give their input on what is in the best interest of the minor.