New Family Justice Center Courthouse! Starting October 2016 Court tours will include the new Family Justice Center Courthouse

 

Please see our Court and Community brochure  covering court visits and other opportunities for the community to learn about the Court.

Courthouse visits (individuals):  Generally, all Court proceedings are open to the public, with the exceptions of Juvenile Justice Court, Juvenile Dependency Court and select closed hearings.  

Members of the public DO NOT need to schedule an appointment to observe Court and participate as an audience member. Courtroom seating is limited and audience members are generally admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Courtroom proceedings for each facility are posted daily for the public to view. For additional assistance about Courthouse calendars, contact the Court’s mainline at (408) 882-2700 .

Courthouse visits (groups/schools):

For groups wishing to arrange a court visit, tour or mock trial, please email visit@scscourt.org, providing the following information:

• Organizer’s name
• Organizer’s phone number
• Name of the organization
• Number of participants
• Age/Grade of participants
• Proposed visit dates/availability
• Brief description of visit’s purpose

The Court offers three types of experiences for students: visits (observation), guided tours and mock trials. The Court will help design an appropriate educational experience commensurate with the ages and number of the students, as well as the learning objective. To learn more about mock trials, see our Mock Trial information page.

Courthouse hours: Click to open a list of the business hours by courthouse . Court proceedings are broken into “Morning” and “Afternoon” calendars. Morning calendars start at approximately 9/9:30 AM and end at noon. Afternoon calendars start at approximately 1:30 PM and end at 5 PM.

Courthouse locations: Click for a list of Court locations - each courthouse page lists hours, location and directions. There is also an interactive map  showing all courthouses in the county, which allows users to obtain driving directions.

Public transportation: Check the website 511.org  and use the "Transit" tab.

Security is important at our courthouses to ensure the safety of all visitors, jurors, parties to lawsuits, court staff, judicial officers, and individuals in custody. All courthouses have metal detectors and sheriff's deputies on duty. Be sure to read this security information  before you visit the Court.

Visiting Jurors: If you are visiting the Court as part of jury duty, read the information on our Jury Services page regarding juror parking, dress codes and courtroom behavior.

Food in the Court: Read the General Local Rule of Court 5  for information on what is and is not permitted in the courthouse and courtroom, for jurors, parties to lawsuits, and visitors.

Questions? For information on observing in the courtroom, please contact the Court at (408) 882-2709 . We also have a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) regarding Court visits.