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Steps in a Criminal Court Appearance in Pomona Courthouse

I thought it might be interesting and maybe helpful if I kind of gave you a step-by-step if you or a loved one has a criminal appearance in the Pomona court — kind of how things go down step-by-step.  That way, you kind of have a little walk through before you go to court.

Sometimes people can be very nervous going to court not really knowing what's going to happen.  So, I can give you a little walk-through and obviously give you an idea from an attorney's perspective, some of the things to look out for and you probably want to hire an attorney and let that attorney guide you through it.

But even if you have an attorney or you're going to hire someone like me to represent you or your loved one, it's still nice to have an idea step-by-step what's going to happen.

Parking and Getting in Line to Enter Courthouse

First thing you arrive near the Pomona courthouse.  You're looking for a parking spot.  There's a big lot there that's a pay lot.  So, you can just pay the money, go in there and park your car.  Also, surrounding that lot is free parking.

Steps in a Criminal Court Appearance in Pomona Courthouse

You can just drive around.  Make sure you look at the signs.  I just usually park in the free parking there.  It's not that far from the courthouse that you can walk in.

Once you arrive at the courthouse, you're probably going to have to get in line.  It's a pretty busy courthouse.  It covers some big ground out there in the east part of Los Angeles.  So, you get in line.  They're going to have you go through a metal detector.

Obviously, you don't want to bring anything that can be characterized like a weapon in there like scissors — you know, anything that they're going to want to take away from you.  That means you're going to have to leave it up there — anything with a pointed edge.

Obviously any weapons.  Not only will they take it away from you, the sheriffs are right there.  You'll be arrested and they'll charge you with a crime there.  It's a pretty nasty, conservative court as far as criminal cases go.

Reviewing the Board to Find Your Name

So, once you get through the metal detector, they'll have a board up there — which all the courts now have in Los Angeles county.  It will have everybody's name in alphabetical order.  It's like three TV screens.

So, you'll go up and find you name, or if you're appearing for somebody who's in custody, you'll find their name up there.  Across from it, it will say which court their case is going to be in and then you'll be able to go to the court.

All courthouse in Los Angeles county, including the Pomona court are open to the public.  You just have to tell the bailiff who you are.  The bailiff might want to know why you're in here.  Just say you're here to watch.

Check-in With Bailiff

I have a family member here or you can check-in with the bailiff.  Tell them you have a criminal case there today.  They'll find you on their list and then they'll tell you where they want you to sit inside the audience.

If you have your own attorney, which again I highly suggest having.  If you've got a criminal case and you need help, pick up the phone.  Give me a call.  I've handled cases there now for 26 years.

So, you'll grab your seat in the audience and eventually your case will be called and it will be dealt with.  If you have an attorney and your attorney is there, those cases usually take priority over any of the other cases.

You'll probably be out of there relatively quickly if it's just a regular court appearance versus a preliminary hearing or the case is set for trial.  Then it might take a little bit longer.  If you've got the public defender you may have to sit there a while because they've got other cases in other courts.  They're busy, etc.

So, that kind of gives you an idea of the step-by-step leading into you going into the court.  Most times the courts there open up between 8:30 and 9:00.  Their main court used to open right at the smack of 8:30 and they would be issuing bench warrants if you weren't there.

Get To Pomona Courthouse Early

As I write this post, and it's April 1, 2020, they're a little bit more lax than that, although that can change at any moment so I always suggest getting up early, getting to the courthouse early, finding your parking spot, getting in there even if you have to sit outside of the courtroom and wait.

It's so much more comfortable than having to try to rush, struggling to park, get through traffic.  Always leave early.  I've been doing this 26 years and I always leave early for court because I want to make my life as smooth and easy as possible.

I want to get there, get the parking spot, get into the courthouse and that way you're ready to go — and if you come in prepared, you'll probably end up with things going much smoother than if you have to come struggling in late.

You risk the judge becoming angry and spotting that you came in late.  Then they might teach you a lesson and take you into custody.  Pomona is just the courthouse that would do something like that.

Contact Hedding Law Firm for Help

So, if you've got a criminal case or one of your loved ones has a criminal case in the Pomona courthouse and you want some help, pick up the phone.  Make the call.  You'll be surprised how easy it is.

My officer manager who has been with me for over 20 years will probably be the one who talks to you at first.  He'll go over your case.  Give you some insight and then eventually, you're either going to talk to me over the phone or we'll set up a face-to-face meeting.

Then, we can really go over everything and start to develop a plan to take control of your case and get you out of the criminal justice system as fast as possible.

Hedding Law Firm is a criminal defense law firm located in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County at 16000 Ventura Blvd #1208 Encino, CA 91436. We are also located at 633 West Fifth Street Los Angeles, CA 90071. Contact us for a free case evaluation at (213) 542-0979.

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