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The following information is provided to assist court users in
identifying the type of case that they are involved in. The case
types are presented as they are used in the Sacramento Superior Court
for purposes of case processing, scheduling, and trial assignment.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your case type, please
call the court's main telephone line, 916-874-5522 for assistance.
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Appeals
An appeal is a request to a higher court to review a judgment or
verdict in a lower court action. For cases tried in a
Municipal-level jurisdiction (small claims, limited civil, unlawful
detainer, traffic, misdemeanors), the court of appeal is the Superior
Court. For cases tried in a Superior-level jurisdiction (general
civil, family law, probate, juvenile, felony), the court of appeal is
the Third
District Court of Appeals.
Civil and other Non-Criminal
A civil case is an action brought to enforce, redress, or protect
private rights. Civil actions include:
- General Civil (seeking damages over $25,000)
- Limited Civil (seeking damages under $25,000)
- Family Law (includes dissolution or annulment of marriage, legal
separation, child custody, spousal support, and domestic violence
restraining orders)
- Probate (matters regarding estates, guardianships,
conservatorships, and trust)
- Unlawful Detainer (landlord/tenant disputes)
- Small Claims (seeking damages under $7,500)
General and Limited Civil cases are heard and processed at the Downtown
Courthouse. Family
Law and Probate cases are heard and processed at the William
R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse. Unlawful Detainer and
Small Claims cases are heard and processed at the Carol
Miller Justice Center.
Criminal
A criminal case is an action brought by the government against a
person who has broken penal law. Criminal cases are separated into
three main categories, felony, misdemeanors, and infractions. All
criminal cases are processed and heard at the Downtown
Courthouse, or at the Lorenzo Patino Hall
of Justice (Sacramento County Main Jail).
Juvenile
Juvenile cases are those involving minors under the age of 18
years. These are separated into two main categories--Juvenile
Delinquency for minors who have broken penal law and Juvenile Dependency
for minors who have been removed from the home and/or care of their
parents or guardians. Juvenile Delinquency cases are heard and
processed at the B.T. Collins Juvenile
Center. Juvenile Dependency cases are heard and processed at
the William R. Ridgeway Family
Relations Courthouse.
Traffic
Traffic cases are those in which citations have been issued for a
violation of traffic laws. Traffic cases are heard and processed
at the Carol Miller Justice Center.
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