Shasta County Juvenile Rehabilitation Facility Criminal Court Process
Criminal Court Process for Shasta County California
From Arrest to Verdict: Shasta County Criminal Courts
Shasta County covers a lot of ground, from Redding and Anderson along Interstate 5 to Shasta Lake, Burney and the Intermountain area, but adult criminal cases from all of it end up in the same place. The Superior Court of California, County of Shasta is the county’s only trial court, a result of the statewide court unification completed around 2000 that eliminated California’s separate municipal courts. That means there is no city court for criminal charges in Redding or anywhere else in the county. Shasta’s criminal docket sits in the Redding Main Courthouse, 1515 Court Street, Redding, CA 96001, the multi-story courthouse that houses Departments 21 through 64 and the jury assembly room.
The Criminal Division clerk’s office is in the same building and is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; its phone number is (530) 245-6789. Because there is one criminal courthouse, there is little guesswork about where to go, but the department number on a citation or notice tells you which courtroom to report to. Open the Shasta charge group below for the usual steps.
- Shasta misdemeanors (petty theft, first DUI, battery, trespass)
- Shasta felonies (burglary, grand theft, meth or other drug sales, felony DUI)
- Shasta’s gravest charges (murder, rape, armed robbery)
- Shasta Superior Court
- Shasta federal cases
- ICE detainers in Shasta court
- Shasta custody searches
- Who checks warrants for Anderson, Burney and Shasta Lake?
1. Shasta misdemeanors (petty theft, first DUI, battery, trespass)
Who prosecutes a Shasta County misdemeanor? The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, which files charges for arrests made by the Sheriff’s Office, the CHP and the Redding and Anderson police departments alike. Many of these cases start with a citation: the officer writes up the offense, the person signs to show up on Court Street, and no jail booking is needed. People who are booked into the Shasta County Jail in downtown Redding and kept there must see a judge within 48 hours, a deadline that doesn’t count Sundays or holidays.
At the arraignment, his first Redding hearing, the charges are read to him, he typically answers “not guilty,” and the judge rules on release. Defendants who cannot pay for a private attorney are generally represented by the Shasta County Public Defender, and the court no longer bills defendants for that representation. In many misdemeanor cases a lawyer is allowed to appear for the client, so the client doesn’t always have to come to court.
Later pretrial conferences settle the bulk of Shasta misdemeanors through bargains, reductions, or dropped cases. Judges also have the option of misdemeanor diversion for many offenses: if the defendant finishes the required classes, counseling or other terms, the charge is dismissed. Shasta won’t divert DUI, domestic abuse, or sex charges that require registration. Trials are decided by a 12-member jury. The trial must start within 30 days of arraignment for a jailed defendant or 45 days for one who is out of custody, though those limits are often waived.
The standard maximum is six months in county jail plus a $1,000 fine; a handful of misdemeanors carry up to a year. Far more often, the sentence is probation, a fine, community service or a program. Most Shasta County misdemeanor cases are resolved within weeks to a few months.
2. Shasta felonies (burglary, grand theft, meth or other drug sales, felony DUI)
Every Shasta felony is filed by the District Attorney, and these cases move more slowly. A defendant held in the Shasta County Jail is arraigned on the criminal complaint at 1515 Court Street within 48 hours of arrest (again excluding Sundays and holidays). Bail gets set at that hearing, and since 2021’s In re Humphrey, a Shasta judge has to weigh what he can afford before naming a number. The court's 2026 Kowalczyk opinion adds that Redding judges must keep bail within the defendant's reach.
From the start, people who lack the money for a lawyer are assigned one. In most cases that is the Shasta County Public Defender, whose office is on Yuba Street in Redding. A conflict, for instance a co-defendant already on its list, means the court hands the case to a private lawyer.
A preliminary hearing is the next milestone. The prosecution presents evidence, and a judge decides whether there is sufficient cause to hold the defendant for trial. This hearing has to occur within 10 court days of arraignment unless the defendant waives that right. A grand jury indictment can replace that hearing, though it is rare here. Cases sent forward get a formal “information” and a new arraignment, then a trial within 60 days unless the defense waives. Waivers are common, and most felonies are resolved by plea agreement.
After a guilty plea or verdict, Shasta Probation writes up a presentence report, and the court usually imposes sentence within 20 court days. California’s 2011 realignment means Shasta now keeps many lower felony terms at its own Redding jail, out of CDCR. Certain offenses are “wobblers” that may be charged either way or reduced to a misdemeanor later. Felony cases in Shasta County typically run from several months to over a year.
3. Shasta’s gravest charges (murder, rape, armed robbery)
The gravest charges follow the ordinary felony sequence of arraignment, preliminary hearing or indictment, and trial. What sets them apart are the penalties, the time involved, and bail. For Shasta defendants charged with violent felonies or sexual assault, the state constitution permits a full denial of release on clear and convincing proof that his release would likely lead to grave harm. Many defendants in these cases spend the entire case in the Shasta County Jail.
Under California’s Three Strikes law, these offenses are classified as strikes. One prior strike means double time, and two can lead to a sentence of 25 years to life. People convicted of violent felonies must serve no less than 85% of their prison time.
- Murder: 25 years to life applies to first-degree murder, and 15 years to life to second-degree murder. Should a Shasta jury find “special circumstances” (a death during a rape or robbery, say), the penalty is death or life with no parole. Shasta’s prosecutor decides whether to seek death, while the 2019 statewide halt keeps executions from going forward.
- Armed robbery: robbery standing alone can lead to nine years at most. A gun shown adds 10 years, a gun fired adds 20, and a shot that badly hurts or kills adds 25 years to life, though judges have been allowed to strike those enhancements since 2018.
- Rape: a sentence of up to eight years, longer if aggravating facts are proven, with lifetime top-tier sex-offender registration.
On the defense side, these cases go to senior trial lawyers in the Public Defender’s office or to experienced appointed counsel, and a capital case gets two defense lawyers. Victims in Shasta have Marsy’s Law rights: notice of hearings, a voice when the sentence is chosen, and repayment of losses. Between investigations, expert analysis and trial preparation, In Redding, such cases tend to last between one and three years, and murder trials sometimes exceed five.
4. Shasta Superior Court
- Redding main courthouse: 1515 Court Street, Redding, CA 96001 · 530-245-6789
5. Shasta federal cases
Federal cases from Shasta can open before the magistrate judge who sits in Redding, then move to Sacramento federal courthouse, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 in the Eastern District of California. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 501 I Street, Suite 5600, Sacramento, 916-930-2030.
6. ICE detainers in Shasta court
Redding judges handle the case normally. SB 54 limits ICE help to people with a serious or violent conviction. Talk to defense counsel about immigration. 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
7. Shasta custody searches
- Shasta County Inmate Search: county jail.
- VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/): statewide.
- Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/): federal; pretrial 916-930-2030.
- 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.
8. Who checks warrants for Anderson, Burney and Shasta Lake?
Shasta's Sheriff's Office serves them. Have a full name and birth date ready and call (530) 245-6000; a deputy checks local and statewide warrants together. The Superior Court's court case records page shows the case itself, which helps when you talk to a lawyer. The Main Courthouse clerk at 1515 Court Street can put you back on calendar and explain what to bring. With counsel, turn yourself in at the county jail, 1655 West Street, or let your attorney seek a recall.
Read this as a Shasta County primer, not legal advice. If you’re charged in Redding, retain a lawyer or phone the Shasta County Public Defender at (530) 245-7598.
