The Superior Court of California, County of Stanislaus handles every adult criminal prosecution in the county, whether the arrest took place in Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Oakdale, Riverbank, Patterson, Newman or Waterford. Turlock, Ceres, Oakdale and the other cities lost their own courts around 2000, when California moved to a single superior court per county. Criminal matters are centered at the Main Courthouse, 800 11th Street, Modesto, CA 95354, in downtown Modesto. The court uses one phone number, (209) 530-3100, for all of its locations; for the Criminal Division, choose option 4 (staffed 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. weekdays).

The Criminal Clerk’s Office is in Room 140 on the first floor, through the 11th Street entrance. The court’s other buildings serve different purposes: civil and probate cases are heard at the City Towers Courthouse on 10th Street, traffic at the Floyd Avenue courthouse, and the Turlock branch handles only small claims and unlawful detainers. Criminal defendants should report to the 11th Street courthouse unless their paperwork says otherwise. Choose a charge group below to follow a typical Modesto case.

Most Stanislaus misdemeanors start with a ticket the person signs, agreeing to show up at the Main Courthouse in Modesto. Only some people are booked into county custody, typically at the Sheriff’s Public Safety Center on Hackett Road in Modesto. Anyone held there is entitled to see a judge within 48 hours, a count that skips Sundays and holidays. Prosecution of misdemeanors is handled by the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, which files cases from the Modesto, Turlock and other city police departments as well as the Sheriff and CHP.

At arraignment the court lays out the charges, the defendant typically pleads not guilty, and the judge sets release terms. Modesto defendants short on money for counsel are typically represented by the Stanislaus County Public Defender, appointed at that first hearing; California courts no longer charge defendants for that representation. For many misdemeanors, the lawyer can appear without the defendant.

Modesto pretrial conferences settle the bulk of these by deal, lesser charge or dismissal. With the judge's approval, diversion lets someone finish classes or counseling and walk away with the charge dropped. Stanislaus excludes DUI, domestic violence and registrable sex crimes. When a Stanislaus case is tried, 12 jurors decide the outcome. The trial deadline is 30 days after arraignment for jailed defendants and 45 days for those out of custody, but the defense commonly waives it.

The usual cap is six months and $1,000; some Stanislaus misdemeanors allow a full year. Modesto judges lean on probation, fines, work hours and classes. Weeks to a few months is the normal run for a Stanislaus misdemeanor.

Felony cases are prosecuted by the Stanislaus County District Attorney. A defendant in custody is transported to the Main Courthouse for arraignment on the complaint within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays, and the judge takes up bail and release. Since In re Humphrey, the California Supreme Court’s 2021 bail ruling, a judge setting bail must account for the defendant’s ability to pay. A 2026 decision, In re Kowalczyk, also says Modesto bail must be reasonable and generally reachable.

Defendants who lack the money to hire a lawyer have one appointed at the start of the case. The Stanislaus County Public Defender, headquartered on I Street in downtown Modesto, takes most of these cases. Conflicts, like a co-defendant already on the Public Defender's list, send the case to a Stanislaus conflict lawyer.

Then comes the preliminary hearing, where a Modesto judge weighs whether the proof warrants a trial. It must be held within 10 court days of arraignment unless the defense waives that time. Prosecutors can also seek a grand jury indictment, which takes the place of a preliminary hearing. A Stanislaus holding order is followed by the DA's information and a fresh arraignment; trial is owed within 60 days unless waived. Waiving time is common, and deals close most Modesto felonies.

Stanislaus probation writes a report after a conviction, and the judge sentences roughly 20 court days later. Because of 2011's realignment, plenty of lesser felony sentences are served in Stanislaus jails instead of prison. Certain crimes, called “wobblers,” can be filed as misdemeanors from the start or reduced to misdemeanors later. Felony cases usually take several months to over a year.

A violent felony case uses the same framework as other felonies: arraignment, a preliminary hearing or grand jury indictment, and trial. The stakes and the timeline are what set it apart. A Modesto judge may deny bail completely in a violent or sex-assault felony when clear and convincing proof shows freedom would probably lead to great bodily harm. In Stanislaus County, that often means the accused waits out the entire case in jail.

All three crimes are strikes. With one strike already on a defendant’s record, the new sentence is doubled; with two, the court can impose 25 years to life. Violent felony convictions also carry a rule that at least 85% of the prison term must actually be served.

• Murder: prison terms are 15 years to life (second degree) and 25 years to life (first degree). Special-circumstance murder, a robbery killing for instance, is punished in Modesto by execution or by prison for life without parole. Only the District Attorney can choose to pursue a death sentence, and the state has carried out no executions under a moratorium in effect since 2019.
• Armed robbery: a robbery conviction can mean as much as nine years. Gun allegations stack on top: 10 years for personal use, 20 for firing the weapon, and 25 years to life when the shot causes great bodily injury. Judges gained discretion to strike those allegations in 2018.
• Rape: eight years at most in the base range, more if aggravated, plus Tier 3 registration.

Experienced trial attorneys in the Public Defender’s office or qualified appointed counsel defend these cases, and the court appoints two lawyers whenever the District Attorney seeks the death penalty. Victims, for their part, are protected by Marsy’s Law, which entitles them to be informed of court dates, to address the judge at sentencing and to be paid restitution. Expect one to three years for such a Stanislaus case, and five or more for murder.

• Main courthouse: 800 11th Street, Modesto, CA 95354 · 209-530-3100
• Civil and probate division: 801 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354 · 209-530-3100
• Blue Gum Avenue (Department 18): 2215 Blue Gum Avenue, Modesto, CA 95358 · 209-530-3100
• Traffic court: 2260 Floyd Avenue, Modesto, CA 95355 · 209-530-3100
• Turlock division: 300 Starr Avenue, Turlock, CA 95380 · 209-530-3100

Modesto, Turlock and Ceres federal cases are heard by the Eastern District of California in Sacramento rather than Fresno, starting with a magistrate judge at Sacramento federal courthouse, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 501 I Street, Suite 5600, Sacramento, 916-930-2030.

Modesto judges proceed normally. SB 54 limits ICE notice to a serious or violent conviction. Talk with counsel about status. 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

• Stanislaus County Inmate Search: county jails.
• 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.

Sheriff's deputies serve warrants countywide, and the Public Safety Center answers at (209) 525-5630. Riverbank, Hughson and Newman cases go through the same office, and deputies can check statewide records while you're on the phone. The court runs a case search that finds cases by name. The main courthouse clerk at 800 11th Street can set a new date and explain the next hearing. Lawyers can arrange surrender at the Public Safety Center, 200 East Hackett Road, or move for a recall.