Westminster, Orange County · Available 24/7

West Justice Center

Westminster's own courthouse, formally the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center — nine west and central county cities file criminal and traffic matters here.

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Table Of Contents

Courthouse Overview

What West Justice Center handles and who it serves.

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Hours & Contact

Calendar days, counter hours, and the 24-hour jail window.

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Reviews

What Orange County families say about working with us.

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Bail Options & Charges

What a bond costs and the charges we handle.

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Parking & Directions

Getting there, screening, and what to bring.

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Departments & Case Types

Arraignment, misdemeanors, felonies, and traffic.

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How To Post Bail

The legal framework and the practical steps.

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Nearby Jails

Where the bond is actually posted.

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Related Courthouses & Cities

Other justice centers and the cities served here.

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Courthouse FAQs

Straight answers to the questions we get most.

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West Justice Center — West and central county criminal and traffic filings

West Justice Center is Westminster's own courthouse — formally the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center — and the criminal and traffic courthouse for the county's west and central cities. The court's Court Designation List assigns Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster here: nine cities in total.

Eight of those nine run independent police departments; Stanton contracts with the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Cypress, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach also share a single regional dispatch centre, WestComm — shared dispatch, but not shared custody, and not a different courthouse.

This is a full-security courthouse: everyone entering passes through weapons screening. And as everywhere in this county, the bond itself is posted at the Santa Ana jail complex rather than at a counter in this building.

Official Court Page

At A Glance

Address
8141 13th St, Westminster, CA 92683-4593
Phone
(657) 622-5900
Formal Name
Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center
Cities Designated Here
Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster
Where Bail Is Posted
The Intake Release Center, 550 N. Flower St, Santa Ana — open 24 hours
Not To Be Confused With
North Justice Center in Fullerton, which covers a different set of cities

Hours & Contact

Court Calendar

Monday to Friday, excluding court holidays. Individual departments start at different times — the notice to appear prints the department and the time.

Public Counter

Weekday business hours. The court does not publish a counter schedule on its own location page, so call before making the drive.

Weekends & Holidays

Closed. No filings, no counter, no hearings.

Jail Bail Window

The Intake Release Center cashier in Santa Ana takes bail 24 hours a day, including every day this courthouse is dark.

Contact

  • Main courthouse line: (657) 622-5900
  • 8141 13th St, Westminster, CA 92683-4593
Call (213) 510-2764
  • A closed courthouse does not stop a release. Bail 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 are the court's own list, not the federal one. Check the court's website before assuming a Monday is open.

What We Have Not Confirmed

  • Public counter hours are not published on the court's own location page, and we have not confirmed them by phone.
  • Department layout and parking detail here were not independently confirmed to the same depth as Central Justice Center.

What Families Say

Our son was booked in Santa Ana on a Saturday and the courthouse was closed until Monday. They posted the bond that night and explained exactly which justice center the case would be heard at.

Marisol R. · Orange 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. · Orange 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. · Orange 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 Amount10% PremiumAs 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.

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Domestic Violence Bail Bonds

Bail and protective-order guidance for PC §273.5 and §243(e)(1) cases.

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Drug Possession & Drug Charge Bail Bonds

Bail for possession, sales, trafficking, and prescription-related cases.

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Theft Bail Bonds

Bail for petty theft, grand theft, shoplifting, and receipt of stolen property.

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Burglary Bail Bonds

Bail for first-degree, second-degree, and auto burglary under PC §459.

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Robbery Bail Bonds

Bail for armed and unarmed robbery charges under PC §211.

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Warrant Bail Bonds

Clear bench warrants and arrest warrants fast without unnecessary jail time.

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Elder Abuse Bail Bonds

Bail for financial, physical, or neglect-based elder abuse charges.

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Manslaughter Bail Bonds

Bail for voluntary, involuntary, and vehicular manslaughter under PC §192.

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Murder Charge Bail Bonds

Bail for first-degree and second-degree murder charges under PC §187.

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Misdemeanor Bail Bonds

Bail for misdemeanors with quick release and flexible payment plans.

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Felony Bail Bonds

Bail for felony charges and serious criminal allegations.

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Traffic & Vehicle Code Bail Bonds

Bail for reckless driving, hit-and-run, and suspended-license arrests.

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Assault & Battery Bail Bonds

Bail for simple battery, assault, and aggravated assault cases.

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Failure To Appear (FTA) Bail Bonds

Bail for FTA warrants and missed court dates.

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Probation Violation Bail Bonds

Bail for technical and substantive probation violations.

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Weapons Charge Bail Bonds

Bail for illegal firearm, concealed carry, and weapons allegations.

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Federal Charge Bail Bonds

Bail for federal court charges and pretrial release.

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Immigration Bonds

Bonds for ICE detainers and immigration court proceedings.

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Parking & Directions

Getting There

8141 13th Street is in Westminster near the Civic Center, a short distance from the 405 and the 22 freeways.

Parking

Public parking is available at the justice center. Capacity and any rates were not independently confirmed with the court, so allow time on a busy calendar morning.

Security Screening

Every justice center in Orange County is a full-security building — everyone passes through weapons screening at the entrance. Arrive early enough that the line is not the reason a hearing is missed.

Confirm Before You Drive

The court's own online case index is the authoritative source for the next date and department. A third-party records site is not. Confirm at occourts.org, 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 designated to this courthouse 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 charges change.

Felony Trials

The court's designation list is explicit that felony trials are assigned based on open trial courtrooms anywhere in the county — a felony filed here can be tried at another justice center.

Traffic & Infractions

Traffic matters designated to this courthouse, including the vehicle code cases that can carry a bail figure and a warrant if 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 West Justice Center 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 §1269b

The 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 §1270.1

The 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 §1800

Ability 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 Orange County that is almost always the Santa Ana jail complex, where the cashier window runs 24 hours a day.

Intake Release Center (IRC)

550 N. Flower St, Santa Ana, CA 92703

Countywide booking and release for Sheriff's Department arrests. The bail cashier window here takes a bond 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Orange County Central Men's Jail

550 N. Flower St, Santa Ana, CA 92703

The men's side of the downtown Santa Ana jail complex, on the same address as the Intake Release Center.

Orange County Central Women's Jail

550 N. Flower St, Santa Ana, CA 92703

Women booked anywhere in Orange County are generally housed in this building on the same complex.

Theo Lacy Facility

501 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868

The county's large housing facility in the City of Orange. People are usually moved here after intake, not booked here first.

Orange County Inmate Locator

West Justice Center Bail FAQs

Can I post bail at West Justice Center?

No. A bond is posted at the facility physically holding the defendant — in Orange County that is almost always the Intake Release Center at 550 N. Flower Street in Santa Ana, where the cashier window is open around the clock. The courthouse is where the case is heard, not where the bond is filed.

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 online case index at occourts.org is the authoritative source. Orange County's designation list assigns filings by city, but felony trials can be moved to whichever justice center has an open courtroom.

What does a bail bond cost in Orange 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 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 Santa Ana.

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. Orange County courthouses run a weekday calendar and close for court holidays. The jail does not. A bond can be posted at any hour, and release does not require the courthouse to be open.

Is this the same as North Justice Center?

No. They are two separate courthouses serving different city lists. West Justice Center in Westminster covers Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster. North Justice Center in Fullerton covers Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Placentia and Yorba Linda.

Cypress, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach share a dispatch centre — do they share custody too?

No. WestComm is a shared regional dispatch centre, not shared custody. Each arrest starts in that city's own system and moves into the county Intake Release Center in Santa Ana, and all three cities file criminal matters here at West Justice Center.

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.