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René C. Davidson Courthouse
Alameda County's main courthouse — a 1934 Art Deco landmark on Lake Merritt, and the confirmed criminal courthouse for the City of Oakland.
Table Of Contents
Courthouse Overview
What René C. Davidson Courthouse handles and who it serves.
Hours & Contact
Calendar days, counter hours, and the 24-hour jail window.
Reviews
What Alameda County families say about working with us.
Bail Options & Charges
What a bond costs and the charges we handle.
Parking & Directions
Getting there, screening, and what to bring.
Departments & Case Types
Arraignment, misdemeanors, felonies, and traffic.
How To Post Bail
The legal framework and the practical steps.
Nearby Jails
Where the bond is actually posted.
Related Courthouses & Cities
Other Alameda County court locations and the cities served here.
Courthouse FAQs
Straight answers to the questions we get most.
René C. Davidson Courthouse — Alameda County's main courthouse and Oakland's criminal venue
René C. Davidson Courthouse is Alameda County's main courthouse and a genuinely significant historic building. Completed in 1934 in the Art Deco style and overlooking Lake Merritt, it replaced an 1893 courthouse that was demolished in 1949.
The history behind it is real and notable. In the early 1930s, Alameda County District Attorney Earl Warren — who would go on to become Chief Justice of the United States — pushed for a modern replacement for the outdated 1893 courthouse, and that push led directly to this building's construction. It served as the office of the Clerk-County Recorder from 1934 until 2000, and it is named for René C. Davidson, a longtime County Recorder.
Today it houses the Civil and Criminal Divisions and accepts Mental Health filings. It is the county's primary criminal courthouse, and it is the confirmed answer for Oakland — a question that stayed open on this site until the court's own materials settled it.
The bond is still filed 30 miles away. Alameda County adult custody is concentrated at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, so a downtown Oakland case very often means a Dublin release.
At A Glance
- Address
- 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA 94612
- Phone
- (510) 891-6000
- Built
- Completed 1934 in the Art Deco style, overlooking Lake Merritt
- Replaced
- An 1893 courthouse, demolished in 1949
- Divisions
- Civil and Criminal Divisions; accepts Mental Health filings
- Nearest Jail
- Santa Rita Jail, 5325 Broder Blvd, Dublin — county custody is not downtown
Hours & Contact
Civil
8:30 AM – 2:30 PM per a legal-directory source — not confirmed on the court's own site
Family Law
8:30 AM – 2:30 PM per the same secondary source
Criminal
8:30 AM – 2:30 PM per the same secondary source
Court Calendar
Monday to Friday, excluding court holidays. Departments start at different times — the notice to appear prints the department and the time.
Public Counter
Weekday business hours. Alameda County Superior Court does not publish an identical counter schedule for every location, so call before making the drive.
Weekends & Holidays
Closed. No filings, no counter, no hearings.
Jail Release Window
Santa Rita Jail processes bail around the clock, including every hour this courthouse is dark.
Contact
- Courthouse phone: (510) 891-6000
- Clerk's Office: A 2017 court notice indicates Clerk's Office services relocated here from the George E. McDonald Hall of Justice in Alameda.
- Santa Rita Jail: (925) 551-6500 — where the bond is actually filed
- 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA 94612
- These specific department hours come from a legal-directory source rather than alameda.courts.ca.gov. Confirm with the court at (510) 891-6000 before relying on them.
- A closed courthouse does not stop a release. A bond posted at 2am on a Sunday is posted — the courthouse simply is not part of that transaction.
- If someone is arrested Friday evening and no bond is posted, the first appearance generally waits for the next court day. That is the single biggest reason families post before the hearing rather than after it.
- Court holidays follow the court's own list, not the federal one. Check alameda.courts.ca.gov before assuming a Monday is open.
What We Have Not Confirmed
- — Alameda County Superior Court is one unified trial court and does not publish a city-by-city assignment list for adult criminal cases. The courthouse printed on the notice to appear is the authoritative answer for any specific case.
- — Department-level hours here come from a secondary legal directory rather than the court's own site.
What Families Say
“Our son was booked downtown on a Saturday and the courthouse was closed until Monday. They posted the bond that night and explained exactly which courthouse the case would be heard at.”
Marisol R. · Alameda County, CA
“I had no idea the jail and the courthouse were two different places in two different cities. One phone call and they handled all of it. No office visit, everything signed from my kitchen table.”
David K. · Alameda County, CA
“Straight answers about what it would cost before I paid anything, and they put the court date in writing so we could not miss it. That mattered more than anything else.”
Angela T. · Alameda County, CA
Bail Options & Charges We Handle
California bail premiums are set by statute under Insurance Code §1800 and run 10% of the face amount of the bond. Qualifying cosigners can start with as low as 1% down on a written payment plan.
| Bail Amount | 10% Premium | As Low As 1% Down |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $500 | $50 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 | $100 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 | $250 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 | $500 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $250,000 | $25,000 | $2,500 |
DUI / DWI Bail Bonds
24-hour bail for drunk-driving arrests under Vehicle Code §23152.
Domestic Violence Bail Bonds
Bail and protective-order guidance for PC §273.5 and §243(e)(1) cases.
Drug Possession & Drug Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for possession, sales, trafficking, and prescription-related cases.
Theft Bail Bonds
Bail for petty theft, grand theft, shoplifting, and receipt of stolen property.
Burglary Bail Bonds
Bail for first-degree, second-degree, and auto burglary under PC §459.
Robbery Bail Bonds
Bail for armed and unarmed robbery charges under PC §211.
Warrant Bail Bonds
Clear bench warrants and arrest warrants fast without unnecessary jail time.
Elder Abuse Bail Bonds
Bail for financial, physical, or neglect-based elder abuse charges.
Manslaughter Bail Bonds
Bail for voluntary, involuntary, and vehicular manslaughter under PC §192.
Murder Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for first-degree and second-degree murder charges under PC §187.
Misdemeanor Bail Bonds
Bail for misdemeanors with quick release and flexible payment plans.
Felony Bail Bonds
Bail for felony charges and serious criminal allegations.
Traffic & Vehicle Code Bail Bonds
Bail for reckless driving, hit-and-run, and suspended-license arrests.
Assault & Battery Bail Bonds
Bail for simple battery, assault, and aggravated assault cases.
Failure To Appear (FTA) Bail Bonds
Bail for FTA warrants and missed court dates.
Probation Violation Bail Bonds
Bail for technical and substantive probation violations.
Weapons Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for illegal firearm, concealed carry, and weapons allegations.
Federal Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for federal court charges and pretrial release.
Immigration Bonds
Bonds for ICE detainers and immigration court proceedings.
Parking & Directions
Parking
Metered street parking around Lake Merritt is limited and heavily used. The Jackson Street parking garage between 12th and 13th Streets is the most convenient option on a court morning.
Transit
The Lake Merritt BART station is about 0.3 miles away — a five-minute walk, and usually faster than finding a space downtown.
Security Screening
Every Alameda County Superior Court location is a secured building — everyone passes through weapons screening at the entrance. Arrive early enough that the line is not the reason a hearing is missed.
What To Bring
Photo ID, the notice to appear or case number, and any paperwork the court sent. If you are meeting us to sign bond paperwork, we tell you exactly what we need before you leave the house.
Confirm Before You Drive
The court's own site at alameda.courts.ca.gov is the authoritative source for the next date and department. A third-party records site is not. Confirm there, or call us and we will confirm it for you.
Departments & Case Types
Arraignment
The first appearance. Charges are read, a plea is entered, and a judicial officer reviews the bail figure set at booking — leaving it, raising it, reducing it, or granting release on own recognizance.
Misdemeanor Calendars
Most misdemeanor cases assigned to this location are heard, tried and resolved here from arraignment through disposition.
Felony Preliminary Hearings
The hearing where the court decides whether the case proceeds. Bail is frequently revisited here, particularly if the charges change.
Felony Trials
Alameda County Superior Court is one unified trial court. A felony filed at one location can be assigned to a courtroom elsewhere in the county depending on trial availability.
Traffic & Infractions
Vehicle code matters, including the cases that can carry a bail figure and a warrant if they are ignored.
Warrants & Failure To Appear
A missed appearance can produce a bench warrant the same day and a forfeited bond. There is a statutory window to bring a defendant back before forfeiture becomes a judgment against the cosigner.
How To Post Bail For A René C. Davidson Courthouse Case
Bail Is Set At Booking
Under California Penal Code §1269b, the county bail schedule sets an amount at booking, before anyone sees a judge. That is the figure a bond is written against.
Penal Code §1269bThe Court Can Change It
Penal Code §1270.1 requires a hearing before release on certain serious charges, and the judge can raise, lower, or set conditions at arraignment.
Penal Code §1270.1The Premium Is Regulated
Insurance Code §1800 governs bail premiums in California. Ten percent of the bond, with as low as 1% down for qualifying cosigners on a written plan.
Insurance Code §1800Ability To Pay Matters
In re Humphrey (2021) requires courts to consider whether a person can actually afford the amount set, and Article I §12 governs when bail can be denied outright.
In re Humphrey (2021)Bail can be denied entirely in a narrow set of cases under Article I, §12 of the California Constitution. In every other case there is an amount, and an amount can be bonded.
Nearby Jails — Where The Bond Is Posted
A bond is filed at the facility physically holding the defendant, not at the courthouse. In Alameda County that is a Sheriff's Department detention facility — most often Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where booking and release run around the clock.
Santa Rita Jail
5325 Broder Boulevard, Dublin, CA 94568
Alameda County's primary detention facility and effectively the single destination for adult county custody, no matter which city the arrest happened in. This is where a bond is filed and where a release happens.
Glenn E. Dyer Detention Facility (closed)
550 6th Street, Oakland, CA 94607
The former downtown Oakland detention facility is closed and county custody is consolidated at Santa Rita Jail. If older paperwork names Glenn Dyer, call us and we confirm where the person is actually held today.
René C. Davidson Courthouse Bail FAQs
Can I post bail at René C. Davidson Courthouse?
No. A bond is posted at the facility physically holding the defendant — in Alameda County that is almost always Santa Rita Jail at 5325 Broder Boulevard in Dublin — not at the courthouse. The courthouse is where the case is heard.
How do I confirm my case is really at this courthouse?
The notice to appear names the courthouse and the department. If you do not have it, the court's own site at alameda.courts.ca.gov is the authoritative source. Alameda County Superior Court does not publish a city-by-city criminal assignment list, so the paperwork governs.
What does a bail bond cost in Alameda County?
California bail premiums are regulated under Insurance Code §1800 and run 10% of the face amount of the bond. Qualifying cosigners can start with as low as 1% down on a written payment plan.
Should we wait for the hearing to see if the judge lowers bail?
Usually not. Waiting means days in custody at Santa Rita for a reduction that may not come. Posting first means the defendant is home for that hearing — and if the judge does reduce bail, they were released for the days in between rather than sitting in a cell.
What happens if a court date here is missed?
The court can forfeit the bond and issue a bench warrant the same day. There is a limited statutory window to return the defendant to court before forfeiture becomes a judgment against the cosigner — call us immediately rather than waiting.
Is the courthouse open at night or on weekends?
No. Alameda County Superior Court runs a weekday calendar and closes for court holidays. Santa Rita Jail does not. A bond can be posted at any hour, and release does not require the courthouse to be open.
Is this Oakland's criminal courthouse?
Yes. René C. Davidson Courthouse at 1225 Fallon Street houses the Criminal Division and is the confirmed criminal courthouse for Oakland. Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse on Washington Street also carries criminal, traffic and collaborative calendars — the notice to appear names which building.
What is the Earl Warren connection?
In the early 1930s, Earl Warren was Alameda County's District Attorney and pushed for a modern replacement for the outdated 1893 courthouse. That effort led directly to this 1934 Art Deco building. Warren later became Governor of California and Chief Justice of the United States.
Talk To A Licensed Agent Right Now
We answer around the clock, we tell you what it costs before you pay anything, and we put the next court date in writing so nobody misses it.