Men's & Women's Transitional Facility Criminal Court Process

1. San Mateo misdemeanors (petty theft, a first DUI, battery, trespass)

San Mateo County is one of the few California counties without a government public defender’s office, and that shapes how representation works from the very first hearing. Since 1968, the county has contracted with the San Mateo County Bar Association, whose Private Defender Program supplies lawyers from private practice for people who cannot afford one. When a person facing possible jail time qualifies financially, the court appoints the program at or before arraignment, and the state no longer sends a bill for that lawyer.

Getting to that arraignment usually does not involve jail. Peninsula police often hand out tickets for minor crimes instead of booking, with a court date printed for Redwood City or South San Francisco. Someone who is booked and held in the county jail in Redwood City must be arraigned within 48 hours, not counting Sundays and holidays. The San Mateo County District Attorney files misdemeanor charges countywide, regardless of which city’s police made the arrest.

At arraignment the defendant hears the charges and typically pleads “not guilty,” and the court sets release terms. For many misdemeanors, a lawyer may stand in for the defendant sparing the client many trips to court. A pretrial conference closes most of these San Mateo cases through a deal, a lesser count, or dismissal. Misdemeanor diversion is another option: once the program a judge orders is finished, the case goes away. DUI, domestic violence and offenses requiring sex-offender registration cannot be diverted this way. A San Mateo jury trial uses 12 jurors, and the defendant can insist on a trial within 30 days of arraignment if jailed or 45 days if not, though that right is commonly waived.

Most misdemeanors here are limited to six months behind bars and a $1,000 fine; some allow up to a year. Instead, the usual result is probation, fines, community service or classes. Peninsula misdemeanors often finish in a month or a few.

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2. Peninsula felony cases (break-ins, big thefts, selling drugs, DUI causing injury)

All San Mateo felonies are filed by the District Attorney, and those cases are concentrated at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City. Arraignment on the felony complaint takes place within 48 hours of arrest for anyone held in custody. At that hearing the judge rules on bail or release, and the 2021 California Supreme Court decision In re Humphrey requires the court to consider whether the person can afford any bail it sets. Redwood City judges must also follow the 2026 Kowalczyk decision: bail must be reasonable and attainable.

Appointed counsel comes from the Private Defender Program, which assigns cases among its panel of private attorneys. Because it is a panel rather than a single office, the program can assign separate lawyers when co-defendants have conflicting interests.

The preliminary hearing comes next. There, a judge weighs the prosecution’s evidence and rules on sending it to trial; that hearing comes inside 10 court days unless the defense asks for more time. In some cases the District Attorney seeks a grand jury indictment instead, eliminating the preliminary hearing. A defendant who is held to answer is arraigned again on an “information,” and the trial must start within 60 days unless time is waived. Time waivers are the norm, and a plea agreement is how most felony cases end.

If there is a conviction, the San Mateo County Probation Department prepares a report for sentencing, which generally takes place within 20 court days of a verdict. Under California’s 2011 realignment, many people convicted of non-serious, non-violent felonies serve their time in county jail instead of state prison. Certain “wobbler” offenses may be filed low or knocked down later. Expect a San Mateo felony to last many months, sometimes more than a year.

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3. The gravest San Mateo charges (murder, rape, armed robbery)

Three Strikes consequences hang over every case in this category, since murder, rape and armed robbery all count as strikes. A single past strike doubles prison time; two can bring 25 years to life. Violent felony convictions also require serving 85% or more of the prison term before becoming eligible for release.

Procedurally, these cases move through the same arraignment, preliminary hearing (or grand jury) and trial stages as other felonies at the Hall of Justice. Release is the major difference. A judge may refuse bail on violent and sex-assault felonies when clear and convincing proof shows freeing the person would likely lead to serious harm, which is why many San Mateo defendants stay at Maple Street until the case ends.

• Murder: 25 years to life is the sentence for first-degree murder; 15 years to life is the sentence for second-degree. When “special circumstances” are proven, such as murder during a rape or robbery, a San Mateo jury’s verdict can mean death or a life term without release. That death decision belongs to the county’s prosecutor, while a 2019 statewide halt keeps any execution from happening.
• Armed robbery: the robbery count can carry up to nine years. A gun enhancement adds 10 years for use, 20 years for discharge or 25 years to life if the shot causes great bodily injury, but judges have had authority to strike these enhancements since 2018.
• Rape: a cap of eight years before aggravating facts add time, plus lifelong top-tier registration.

The Private Defender Program gives homicide and other grave cases to its senior lawyers, and where the prosecution pursues the death penalty, two qualified lawyers must be appointed. Peninsula crime victims, under Marsy’s Law, are told of hearings, may address the judge before sentencing, and can recover losses. Staff at the District Attorney’s victim office guide them. Investigation, expert testimony and trial preparation mean these prosecutions typically run one to three years, with murder cases often lasting five or more.

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4. San Mateo Superior Court locations

• Southern branch hall of justice: 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063 · 650-261-5100
• Central branch: 800 North Humboldt Street, San Mateo, CA 94401 · 650-261-5100
• Northern branch: 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco, CA 94080 · 650-261-5100
• Juvenile branch: 222 Paul Scannell Drive, San Mateo, CA 94402 · 650-261-5100

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5. San Mateo federal cases

From Daly City to East Palo Alto, federal charges go to the Northern District of California. A magistrate judge at San Francisco federal courthouse, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 handles the first hearing, then Pretrial Services and detention. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 20th floor, San Francisco, 415-436-7677.

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6. ICE detainers in San Mateo cases

Redwood City judges proceed normally. SB 54 limits release cooperation; a serious or violent conviction is required before ICE gets a date. Talk to counsel about immigration risk. ICE: San Francisco ICE field office, 630 Sansome Street, Room 590, San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-365-8800; sites:

• 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. San Mateo custody searches

• San Mateo County Inmate Search: county jails.
• VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/): statewide.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/): federal; pretrial 415-436-7677.
• CDCR Inmate Locator (https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/): prison.
• ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/): A-number or name and birth country; 415-365-8800.

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8. Who serves warrants from Pacifica down to Half Moon Bay?

Sheriff's deputies serve warrants across the Peninsula and coast, and they're reachable at (650) 363-4911. With a legal name and birth date, a deputy will search the Peninsula's file and the state's together. The Superior Court's Odyssey portals find criminal cases by name, which shows you the case behind the warrant. The Hall of Justice clerk at 400 County Center helps with a new court date and any paperwork that goes with it. With counsel, you can surrender at Maguire Correctional Facility, 300 Bradford Street, or have your lawyer request a recall from the judge.

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