Calaveras Court Records Search

Calaveras County Superior Court offers online docket access through a public portal. The court is in San Andreas at 400 Government Center Drive. Phone number is (209) 754-9800. All case types get filed at this location. Civil, criminal, family law, probate, and traffic cases all appear in the online system. The portal runs on Tyler Technologies software. Search by name or case number. Basic info shows for free. Document downloads cost money. The system covers current and recent cases. For very old cases, you may need to contact the clerk for help searching archived records.

Online Case Portal

The Calaveras County court website is www.calaveras.courts.ca.gov. This site gives you court hours, directions, and general information. For case searches, use the online portal at portal-cacalaveras.tylertech.cloud/Portal. This is where you search dockets.

The portal runs on the Tyler Technologies platform. Type in a party name or case number. The system shows matching cases. Click on a case to see the docket. Docket entries list filings, hearings, and court orders. You can view basic case info without paying. Downloads cost extra. Fees depend on how many pages you download. Check the fee schedule on the portal before you start downloading documents.

Most users search by name first. This finds all cases where that person is a party. Then pick the right case and note the case number. Use the case number for future searches. It goes faster and costs less than running name searches every time.

Calaveras County Courthouse

The courthouse sits at 400 Government Center Drive in San Andreas, CA 95249. This is the county seat. All court business happens here. The building has courtrooms, clerk offices, and public access terminals. Parking is available nearby. Security screening takes place at the entrance. Leave prohibited items in your car.

Clerk office hours typically run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. Call ahead at (209) 754-9800 to confirm hours for specific departments. Some offices close for lunch. Public terminals let you search cases for free at the courthouse. Staff can help you use the terminals if you are not sure how they work. Print copies from the clerk at fifty cents per page. Certified copies cost forty dollars plus the per page fee.

Understanding Court Dockets

A court docket is a chronological list of everything that happens in a case. It starts when someone files a complaint or petition. Each time a paper gets filed, the docket gets an entry. Each hearing adds an entry. Court orders show up too. You can read the docket to see the whole history of a case from start to finish.

Docket entries use shorthand. For example, "MTD" means motion to dismiss. "MSJ" stands for motion for summary judgment. "OSC" is order to show cause. Learn these terms or ask a clerk to explain them. The docket shows dates, document types, and short descriptions. Click on an entry to download the full document if the portal allows it.

Civil dockets can run very long. A lawsuit might have dozens or hundreds of entries over several years. Criminal dockets tend to move faster. Many resolve within months through plea deals. Family law dockets can drag on for years if custody or support issues get contested. Probate dockets usually wrap up within a year or two once an estate gets distributed.

Note: Sealed or confidential cases do not appear in public searches.

Types of Cases

Calaveras County Superior Court handles all types of cases. Civil cases include contract disputes, personal injury lawsuits, and property disputes. These can take years to resolve if parties do not settle. Criminal cases range from traffic tickets to serious felonies. Most criminal cases end in plea bargains. Trials are less common but do happen.

Family law cases involve divorce, legal separation, child custody, visitation, and support orders. The court also hears domestic violence restraining order requests. Probate cases deal with wills, estates, conservatorships, and guardianships. Small claims cases handle disputes under ten thousand dollars. Parties represent themselves. Hearings are quick and informal compared to regular civil trials.

Appeals Process

Calaveras County is part of the Third Appellate District. This district covers twenty three counties in northern and central California. The appellate courthouse is in Sacramento. If you want to appeal a Superior Court decision, you file a notice of appeal first. Then the case moves to the Court of Appeal. Lawyers prepare written briefs. Oral arguments may take place. The appellate court issues a written opinion.

Search appellate cases at appellate.courts.ca.gov. You can read briefs and opinions online. Appeals take time. Most resolve within a year or two. Complex cases can take longer. The appellate court reviews the trial court record for legal errors. It does not retry the facts or hear new evidence.

Court Fees

Calaveras County uses California standard fee schedules. Copies cost fifty cents per page. Certified copies add a forty dollar certification fee. Search fees run fifteen dollars if the clerk spends over ten minutes searching. Filing a new case costs several hundred dollars. The amount depends on case type. Criminal cases have no filing fee since the prosecutor files them.

• Copies: $0.50 per page
• Certified copies: $40.00 plus per page fee
• Search fee: $15.00 after ten minutes

Download court forms for free from the court website at www.calaveras.courts.ca.gov. California courts also maintain a statewide form library. Fill out all forms completely. Bring copies for the court, yourself, and all other parties. Incomplete forms get rejected and delay your case.

Contact Calaveras Court

The main phone number is (209) 754-9800. The courthouse address is 400 Government Center Drive, San Andreas, CA 95249. Office hours are generally 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays. Check the court website at www.calaveras.courts.ca.gov for department specific hours and contact info. Some departments have direct phone numbers listed on the site.

Calaveras County Cities

Calaveras County has several small towns. San Andreas is the county seat. Other communities include Angels Camp, Copperopolis, and Murphys. None of these towns reach 100,000 in population. All court cases from these areas get filed at Calaveras County Superior Court in San Andreas.

Nearby Counties

Calaveras County borders several other counties. Each maintains its own court system: