Kings County Jail Criminal Court Process

1. Kings misdemeanors (small thefts, a first DUI, battery, trespass)

The arrest itself is often brief. Lots of Kings misdemeanors end on the roadside: a deputy, a Hanford or Lemoore officer, or the CHP writes a ticket, gets a signature, and leaves. If instead the person is booked into the Kings County Jail in Hanford, a judge must see them within 48 hours, a clock that skips Sundays and holidays. Charges are filed by the Kings County District Attorney, which prosecutes misdemeanors countywide.

The Hanford arraignment covers the complaint, a plea that is usually not guilty, and release terms. Kings County does not staff a traditional government public defender office. Kings instead runs a Defense of the Indigent Accused program, paying private lawyers to defend people without money whenever jail is a possibility. Courts in California no longer charge defendants for appointed counsel. On many minor charges, that lawyer may stand in so the client can skip hearings.

Most Kings misdemeanors then wrap up at a pretrial conference by deal, reduction or dismissal. Diversion is also possible, with the charge dropped once required programs are done; it is closed to DUIs, domestic violence and sex crimes requiring registration. Trials are heard by a 12-person jury, and a defendant can demand one within 30 days of arraignment if jailed or 45 days if released, although that right is frequently waived.

Kings misdemeanor sentences usually cap at half a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, while a small set allow a full year. Probation, fines and classes are far more typical. Expect weeks, maybe a few months, from start to finish.

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2. Kings felonies (burglary, grand theft, drug dealing, DUI causing injury)

After the Kings DA files a felony complaint, a jailed defendant is taken to the Hanford courthouse for arraignment inside 48 hours. Release is decided that day, and since the 2021 In re Humphrey case, Kings judges must look at what the defendant can truly pay. Hanford judges are also bound by the 2026 Kowalczyk ruling: when bail is set, it must usually be within the person's reach.

Contract defense attorneys are appointed at arraignment for defendants who qualify. Because the county relies on multiple contracted lawyers, a separate attorney can be assigned when a conflict arises, such as co-defendants with opposing interests.

Next a preliminary hearing tests whether the evidence justifies trial, and it is due inside 10 court days unless the defense agrees to delay. A grand jury indictment can replace it but rarely does. Once bound over, he is arraigned anew on the DA's information, and trial must start inside 60 days unless waived. Waivers are common, and most Kings felonies end in a negotiated plea.

Kings County Probation prepares a report after any conviction, and sentencing generally follows within 20 court days. Since 2011 realignment, many nonviolent, nonserious felony terms are served in the Kings jail, and “wobblers” may be filed or dropped as misdemeanors. Kings felonies commonly need several months, occasionally more than twelve.

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3. Kings violent felony cases (homicide, rape, armed holdups)

Kings handles these like other felonies, arraignment, preliminary hearing or indictment, then trial, only with far stiffer stakes and more time. In violent or sex-assault felony cases a Hanford judge can withhold bail entirely if clear and convincing evidence shows release would likely bring great bodily harm, as the state constitution allows. Many people charged with these crimes in Kings County stay in the Hanford jail until the case is over.

All three count under Three Strikes. A Kings defendant with a single prior strike gets twice the term; two earlier strikes can bring 25 years to life. Violent-felony convictions require serving at least 85% of the prison term.

• Murder: 25 years to life in the first degree and 15 years to life in the second. Special-circumstance murders, such as one during a robbery, are punished by execution or a sentence with no release ever. The Kings DA decides on a death request, while statewide executions have been on hold since 2019.
• Armed robbery: a robbery term up to nine years, plus a 10, 20 or 25-years-to-life firearm add-on tied to how the gun figured in. Kings judges may strike such add-ons under a 2018 change.
• Rape: up to eight years before aggravating factors, plus highest-tier sex-offender registration.

Death-penalty defendants receive two qualified appointed defenders. Marsy’s Law gives Kings victims notice, a sentencing statement, and restitution. These Hanford cases often need one to three years; homicides can go beyond five.

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4. Kings County Superior Court in Hanford

• Kings courthouse: 1640 Kings County Drive, Hanford, CA 93230 · 559-582-1010

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Several judges at the Superior Court here let parties appear by phone or video through CourtCall, a privately run service with a charge for each appearance. Each judge chooses which hearings qualify, you can set yourself up on CourtCall and schedule, an approved fee waiver lifts the cost, and its courtrooms also tend to share a free link.

5. Federal charges from Kings County

Kings is in the Fresno division of the Eastern District of California. A magistrate judge sees the defendant at Fresno federal courthouse, 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA 93721. Pretrial Services gives a report, and the custody hearing can be continued by three days for the U.S. or by five for the accused. Before trial, a detained defendant sleeps in a jail the Marshals contract with; contact U.S. Marshals Service, 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, 559-442-2858.

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6. ICE detainers and the Hanford court

ICE holds don't change the Hanford case or calendar. SB 54 keeps the jail from detaining anyone extra; only listed serious or violent convictions allow ICE to learn a release date. Mention immigration status to the defense before a plea. A TRUTH Act notice is required before an ICE jail interview. San Francisco ICE field office, 630 Sansome Street, Room 590, San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-365-8800 covers Kings; nearby detention:

• Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center: 425 Golden State Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
• Golden State Annex: 611 Frontage Road, McFarland, CA 93250
• California City detention site: 22844 Virginia Boulevard, California City, CA 93505

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7. Searches after a Kings arrest

• Kings County Inmate Search: name; bail and court date.
• VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/): California; facility.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/): register number or name; pretrial: 559-442-2858.
• CDCR Inmate Locator (https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/): number or name; includes Avenal and Corcoran.
• ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/): A-number or name and birth country; else 415-365-8800.

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8. Who serves warrants in Hanford, Lemoore and Corcoran?

The Sheriff's Office serves warrants for Lemoore, Corcoran, Avenal and the farm country. Call (559) 584-1431 and, once you give a name and birth date, a deputy will give the status by phone. Deputies cover statewide checks as well, and the court's public portal lets you look up a case by name. You can surrender at the Kings County Jail with a lawyer, or counsel can ask for a recall. The courthouse clerk at the government center can set a new date after the warrant is cleared.

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