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Kearny Mesa, San Diego · Countywide Venue
Juvenile Court
San Diego County's countywide juvenile venue on Meadow Lark Drive — dependency, delinquency and adoption matters, where the adult bail framework does not apply the same way.
Table Of Contents
Courthouse Overview
What Juvenile Court handles and who it serves.
Hours & Contact
Calendar days, counter hours, and the 24-hour jail window.
Reviews
What San Diego 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 San Diego County court locations and the cities served here.
Courthouse FAQs
Straight answers to the questions we get most.
Juvenile Court — Countywide juvenile, dependency and adoption venue
Juvenile Court handles dependency, delinquency and adoption matters countywide — the San Diego County equivalent of Los Angeles County's Edmund D. Edelman Children's Courthouse.
This is not a criminal courthouse in the standard adult sense, and the bail-bonds framework does not apply here the way it does at the other six locations. A minor detained in juvenile hall is generally not released by posting a bond; release is a decision the court makes at a detention hearing, and the bail schedule that governs adult arrests does not control it.
The honest version matters here. If a family calls us about a minor, the useful thing we can do is explain the process, point to the right hearing, and be straight that a bond is not the lever. Where a case has been filed in adult court instead, that is a different venue and a bond usually is available.
At A Glance
- Address
- 2851 Meadow Lark Dr, San Diego, CA 92123
- Case Types
- Juvenile justice, dependency, minor offenses and adoptions
- Reach
- Countywide, not division-specific
- Bail
- There is generally no bail schedule in juvenile delinquency — release is a court decision
- Equivalent
- The San Diego County counterpart to LA County's Edmund D. Edelman Children's Court
- Adult Cases
- Heard at the Central, North, East or South locations instead
Hours & Contact
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. San Diego 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
The Sheriff's detention facilities process bail around the clock, including every hour this courthouse is dark.
Contact
- Court information: See sdcourt.ca.gov for the current juvenile department directory
- 2851 Meadow Lark Dr, San Diego, CA 92123
- 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 sdcourt.ca.gov before assuming a Monday is open.
What We Have Not Confirmed
- — Juvenile Court is not an adult criminal venue. The bail-bonds process described elsewhere on this site does not apply here in the same way.
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. · San Diego 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. · San Diego 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. · San Diego County, CA
Bail Options & Charges We Handle
The charge list below reflects adult cases we bond across San Diego County. It is included for reference only: a matter heard in Juvenile Court is generally not resolved by posting a bond, and we will tell you that plainly rather than sell you one.
| 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
Getting There
2851 Meadow Lark Drive is in the Kearny Mesa area near the county's juvenile facilities, off SR-163. On-site parking is generally available.
Security Screening
Every San Diego 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 and any paperwork the court or the probation department sent. Juvenile proceedings are confidential and courtroom access is restricted — check with the department before assuming who can attend.
Confirm Before You Drive
The court's own case index at sdcourt.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
Delinquency
Petitions alleging law violations by a minor. The detention hearing, not a bail schedule, decides whether a minor stays in custody.
Dependency
Child welfare cases involving abuse or neglect allegations, including placement and reunification.
Adoption
Adoption matters heard for the county as a whole.
Minor Offenses
Lower-level matters involving minors handled through the juvenile system rather than adult criminal calendars.
Transfer To Adult Court
In limited circumstances a case may be moved to adult criminal court, at which point the adult bail framework applies at the assigned adult courthouse.
Confidentiality
Juvenile records and hearings are restricted by law. Information the public can obtain about an adult case is often not available here.
How To Post Bail For A Juvenile Court Case
There is generally no bail schedule for a minor in juvenile custody. Release is decided by the court at a detention hearing. If a case has been filed in adult court, the standard California bail framework applies at that adult courthouse instead — call us and we will tell you which situation you are in.
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 San Diego County that is a Sheriff's Department detention facility — most often San Diego Central Jail downtown, where booking and release run around the clock.
San Diego Central Jail
1173 Front St, San Diego, CA 92101
The county's downtown intake jail, a short walk from the downtown court complex. Most adult male arrests in the central part of the county are booked and released here.
Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility
451 Riverview Pkwy, Santee, CA 92071
The county's women's facility. Women arrested anywhere in San Diego County are generally housed here regardless of which courthouse hears the case.
George F. Bailey Detention Facility
446 Alta Rd, San Diego, CA 92158
A large housing facility on the Otay Mesa complex. People are usually moved here after intake rather than booked here first.
Juvenile Court Bail FAQs
Can I bail my child out of juvenile hall?
Generally no. California's juvenile system does not use the adult bail schedule. Whether a minor is released is decided by the court at a detention hearing, usually within a few court days of the detention.
When does bail apply to a minor's case?
When the case is filed in adult criminal court rather than juvenile court. In that situation the standard bail framework applies at the assigned adult courthouse and a bond can be posted at the facility holding the person.
What happens at a detention hearing?
The court decides whether the minor remains in custody pending the next steps of the case. It is the hearing that matters most in the first days, which is why families should not miss it.
Are juvenile hearings open to the public?
Juvenile proceedings are confidential and access is restricted by law. Check with the department before assuming family members can be in the courtroom.
Where are adult cases from this part of the county heard?
At Central Courthouse and the Hall of Justice downtown for the Central Division, or at the North, East or South regional centers depending on where the arrest happened.
Can you still help if the case is in juvenile court?
We can explain the process and point you to the right hearing, and we will be straight with you that a bond is generally not the lever in a juvenile matter. If the case moves to adult court, we can post the bond that day.
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.