News & Events

To reschedule a hearing at the U.S. Courthouse in Santa Barbara for citations issued at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, Los Padres National Forest, or Channel Island offenses, please call (213) 894-3787. To reschedule a hearing or arrange for a hearing date on a warrant or driver’s license hold in Riverside, Barstow, Fort Irwin, or Yucca Valley, call (951) 328-4455...

To schedule (or reschedule) a hearing on a warrant or driver license hold in Los Angeles, please call (213) 894-2353. To schedule (or reschedule) a hearing on a warrant or driver license hold in Santa Ana, call (714) 338-4754...

You can contact the Central Violations Bureau by calling 1-800-827-2982. Use option 4 to hear an automated recording with status of your ticket...

If you wish to pay the amount indicated on the violation notice, you can make a payment by credit or debit card on the CVB website. For additional information regarding CVB matters, you can call 1-800-827-2982...

Los Angeles County Cases: If you were cited at any of the federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles, or at any of the local federal properties (VA, Social Security), you will have to appear at the date specified at the Roybal Federal Building, located at 255 East Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, on the 3rd floor.  For directions to the Royal Federal Building and parking information, please visit the Court’s website here. Santa Barbara and Ventura County Cases: If you are cited for an offense […]..

Soon after your arrest, agents will bring you to court before a magistrate judge. The charges against you will be contained in a complaint with an affidavit that summarizes the evidence against you, or in an indictment returned by a grand jury. The magistrate judge will explain your rights and make sure that you understand what the prosecutor claims you did.  If you cannot afford an attorney, you will fill out a financial form (signed under penalty of perjury) to show that you cannot afford […]..

If you know that you have an outstanding federal warrant, you should immediately surrender to the United States Marshal in any district. If you are located within the Central District, call the Federal Public Defender’s Office at (213) 894-2854. A Deputy Federal Public Defender can arrange your surrender to the United States Marshal.  Choosing not to surrender can result in adverse consequences to your case and even additional criminal charges...

If you are in custody, it is the Marshal’s duty to transfer you to the charging jurisdiction. If you are out on bond, you must travel to the originating jurisdiction yourself.  There is a statute — 18 U.S.C. section 4285 — which the magistrate judge can use to order the marshal to pay for your transportation; however, the marshals typically only pay for one-way travel. You should discuss this with your attorney...

United States v. Aguirra, __ Fed.Appx. __, 2017 WL 2258554, *3 (9th Cir. May 23, 2017): The Court concluded that Becerril-Lopez (holding that a conviction under California Penal Code §211 is categorically a crime of violence for purposes of U.S.S.G. §2L1.2) is not clearly irreconcilable with Mathis or Descamps, so it has not been effectively overruled. United States v. Martinez-Rodriguez, __ F.3d __, 2017 WL 2080268 (5th Cir. May 12, 2017): The Court held that a Texas conviction for causing injury to a child (Tex. […]..

Today, a graduation ceremony was held at the California Central District’s United States Courthouse in Los Angeles for 10 people who successfully completed the Conviction and Sentence Alternatives (CASA) Program. The event was held in the ceremonial courtroom and presided over by the Hon. Dolly Gee, U.S. District Court Judge, Hon. Paul Abrams, U.S. Magistrate Judge, and Hon. Virginia Phillips, Chief U.S. District Judge. Friends and family attended the graduation ceremony. Staff from the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California attended […]..