At almost 6,000 words, it’s not a quick read. But a media guide released Tuesday by the county District Attorney’s Office can save reporters — and the public — time in finding answers to questions about how justice plays out here.
“We value the role the Fourth Estate plays in making the criminal justice system open and available to the public,” District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said in a preface.
“We are committed to maintaining transparency and excellent working relationships with the media. At the same time, we are charged with protecting the integrity of the criminal justice system, including the constitutional rights of all citizens who go through it.”
Dumanis, who turns 64 next week, has been the chief county prosecutor for 13 years, elected in 2003 and re-elected three times since. Her office has about 310 deputy district attorneys and 180 district attorney investigators, who are sworn peace officers.
“More than 700 other support personnel including paralegals, legal assistants and clerical staff are essential members of the prosecutorial team,” says the guide. “Altogether, there are about 1,000 DA employees working in five offices across the county.”
The DA’s public website has a link on its homepage for “Case Information.”
Members of the media, or the public, can look up basic information about pending criminal cases using the defendant’s last name or the DA case number.
The public also may sign up to receive email notifications each time a new court hearing is scheduled for a specific defendant.
“The DA public website also has a High-Profile Cases link.
“Clicking on a case provides the same information as the Case Information link, in addition to the highest criminal charge, the defendant’s date of birth, a brief synopsis of the case and the defendant’s custody status,” the guide says.
Court files also are public records and subject to public inspection. The public may view and obtain copies of the following case types: criminal, civil, domestic (divorce, child custody, legal separation and domestic violence), mental health (civil and criminal),
minor offense (traffic and infractions) and small claims.
In most cases, a court file can be found via the court’s online case search or by going to the court location where the case was tried.
Records of vehicle code violations, some local municipal ordinances, infractions and misdemeanors are at the court where the case was tried — and aren’t available online.
“Be aware, these records are stored at the court facility only for a short time before being housed at an offsite location,” the guide says. “It could take several days to retrieve the records and there will be a fee charged for retrieving the record if it is in storage.”
In most cases, infraction records are destroyed after three years; misdemeanor traffic records are destroyed after five years and misdemeanor DUIs are destroyed after 10 years, the guide says.
All Juvenile Court records are confidential. The minor, his or her parents or legal guardian(s), and attorneys of record may obtain copies of court minute orders and selected court documents by appearing at the appropriate reception counter with photo identification.
Others must file a Petition For Disclosure of Juvenile Court Records (Form JV-570). The completed form may be presented in person or by mail but must contain an original signature.
The media guide lays out what the District Attorney’s Office can’t say about a pending criminal case.
But immediately following arraignment, more information can be provided, depending on what is put on the record in open court, including:
- A description of the accused, name, age, occupation, citizenship and whether the suspect is single, married or divorced.
- General description of the crime, but only facts put on the record in court.
- Circumstances immediately surrounding the arrest, including the time and place of arrest, pursuit and/or use of weapons, the identity of the arresting officer or agency and length of investigation.
- General description of the victim (except for sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking victim or at-risk persons) including age and occupation, (but not names, addresses or phone numbers).
- Description of principle charges and allegations or enhancements in the charging document.
- Information contained in the public record, including the complaint, and any information made part of the public record at arraignment, bail review, preliminary hearing or trial.
- Penalty range for the charged offenses or the sentence imposed.
- Amount bail, location of jail.
- Future court dates and explanation of the court process.
- Description of any motions filed if they are in the public record.
- A call for public assistance in providing information to aid in an investigation.
- And a warning of danger regarding an at-large suspect.
The long document includes a glossary, covers the phases of a trial, and lists the many parts of the DA’s office such as the Appellate Division, Case Issuance and Extradition Division, Economic Crimes Division and Cold Case Homicide Division.
The office boasted these “fast facts” about itself:
And for safety’s sake, the guide declares: “The information provided above is meant to offer a general overview of the California state legal system and should not be relied upon as legal advice.”
