San Benito Court Docket Records

San Benito County Superior Court serves a small population compared to most California counties. Court dockets are available online through a public portal. You can search for civil and criminal cases filed in the Hollister courthouse. The county uses a case management system that allows searches by case number or party name. Most recent cases appear in the online database. Older records may require an in person visit to the clerk office. The court handles all trial level matters for San Benito County residents including family law, probate, traffic, and small claims cases.

Search San Benito County Dockets

The online case portal sits at portal.sanbenito.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/. You type in a case number or party name to pull up results. The system shows basic case details like the filing date, parties involved, case type, and current status. Click on a case to see the full docket register.

The docket lists every filing in chronological order. You can see when motions were filed, when hearings took place, and when the judge issued orders. Some documents are available for viewing online. Others require a trip to the courthouse to inspect. Confidential records do not appear in public searches. Sealed cases and certain family law documents stay private under California law.

The court updates the online database regularly. New filings usually show up within a day or two. Older cases filed before the court switched to electronic records may not be in the online system. You can call the clerk office at (831) 636-4057 to ask if a specific case is available online or only on paper at the courthouse.

San Benito County Courthouse

The courthouse stands at 450 Fourth Street in Hollister. This is the only superior court location in San Benito County. All case types get filed and heard at this one building. The clerk office handles civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic cases from a single counter. This makes it easy to find what you need without visiting multiple locations like in larger counties.

Public terminals are available in the courthouse lobby. You can use these computers to search for cases at no charge. Staff can print copies of docket sheets and documents for you. The standard copy fee is fifty cents per page. Certified copies cost forty dollars plus the per page charge. If you need a lot of documents, you might save time by ordering them through the online portal first to see what is available before making a trip to Hollister.

Types of Cases Handled

San Benito County Superior Court has jurisdiction over all trial court matters. Civil cases include lawsuits between private parties over contracts, property, personal injury, and business disputes. The docket tracks every motion, hearing, and order from filing through judgment. Many civil cases settle before trial. Those settlements appear on the docket as dismissals or stipulated judgments.

Criminal prosecutions move through the court as well. The docket shows arraignments, preliminary hearings, plea deals, and sentencing. Most misdemeanor cases resolve quickly. Felonies take longer. Traffic tickets generate court dates and docket entries that you can look up online. Family law cases cover divorce, custody, support, and restraining orders. Probate dockets handle estates, guardianships, and conservatorships.

Small claims cases allow people to sue for up to ten thousand dollars without a lawyer. These cases move fast. The docket typically shows a filing date, hearing date, and judgment all within a few months. You can search for small claims cases through the same online portal as other case types.

Appellate Court Coverage

San Benito County falls under the Sixth Appellate District. This district covers Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. If someone appeals a Superior Court ruling, the case goes to the Court of Appeal in San Jose. You can search appellate cases at appellate.courts.ca.gov. The appellate docket is separate from the trial court docket. Both systems use different case numbers and databases.

Most trial court cases do not get appealed. Appeals happen in a small percentage of cases where someone believes the judge made a legal error. The appellate court reviews the trial court record and issues a written opinion. Those opinions become public and can be found through the appellate court website. The trial court docket will note if an appeal was filed but you need to check the appellate system for details about what happens after the appeal.

Legal Help in San Benito County

The court has a self help center where staff can answer procedural questions. They cannot give legal advice or tell you what to do in your case. They can explain how to fill out forms and where to file them. The self help center has computers with access to court forms and instructions. You can visit during regular business hours.

Legal aid services are available for low income residents. Legal Services of Northern California serves San Benito County. They handle cases involving housing, family law, public benefits, and consumer issues. You must meet income guidelines to qualify for free help. The State Bar of California also runs a lawyer referral service that can connect you with a private attorney who handles your type of case.

Cities in San Benito County

San Benito County has no cities with populations over 100,000. The county seat is Hollister. All court dockets for the county are maintained at the courthouse in Hollister.

Nearby Counties

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