Orange County Clerk of Courts

The Orange County Clerk of Courts is a legal position undertaken within the Orange County Superior Court. The Orange County Superior Court resides in the State of California, which exists within the realm of Common Law. 

The Orange County Clerk of Courts is responsible for the organization of case details, filing of legal cases, and the administration of legal processes such as the authentication of oaths, the compiling of evidence, and the regulation of the administrative aspect of judicial hearings taking place within the Orange County Superior Court.

A Superior Court is permitted to hear cases both criminal and civil in nature. This is in contrast to a court classified as ‘lower’, which is restricted to the judicial review of cases considered to be less severe in nature. The Orange County Superior Court currently is comprised of 9 locations, which are determined in accordance to the specific hearing. The Orange County Clerk of Courts is located in Orange County, California:

12 Civic Center 

Plaza #101

Santa Ana, California 92701  

(714) 834-2500

The following cities, municipalities, and towns in the State of California are under the jurisdiction of the Orange County Superior Court. However, the Orange County Court System is apportioned into 9 locations with regard to the respective legal services provided:

Aliso Viejo

Anaheim

Brea

Buena Park

Costa Mesa

Cypress

Dana Point

Fountain Valley

Fullerton

Garden Grove

Huntington Beach

Irvine

Laguna Beach

Laguna Hills

Laguna Niguel

Laguna Woods

La Habra

Lake Forest

La Palma

Los Alamitos

Mission Viejo

Newport Beach

Orange

Placentia

Rancho Santa Margarita

San Clemente

San Juan Capistrano

Santa Ana

Seal Beach

Stanton

Tustin

Villa Park

Westminster

Yorba Linda

Orange County Superior Court Judges and Personnel

In the Orange County Superior Court, the following Judges and personnel are responsible for legal review of legal matters:

Borris J. Thomas: Presiding Judge.

The following legal issues, statutory legislation, and proceedings are heard in the Orange County Superior Court. In addition, all administrative matters and their applicable administration are mandated and authorized by the Orange County Clerk of Courts.

Family Law: Judicial review within this legal field in the Orange County Superior Court undertakes legal matters addressing matters of the family and familial, structural procedures including:

Adoption

The Establishment of Paternity and Guardianship

Domestic Violence

Divorce, Legal Separation, and Annulment

The Establishment of Visitation

Domestic Partnerships

Restraining Orders: Legal statutes forbidding the encroachment of an individual within the expressed vicinity of another individual.

Grand Jury: A legal procedure in which a jury will be undertaken in order to facilitate the determination with regard to the existence of a sufficient amount of evidence required for a fair hearing. Jury duty is also required of any and all residents of Orange County.

Small Claims Court: The Orange County Superior Court provides a legal venue existing under the jurisdiction of Civil Law with which legal matters involving smaller sums of money, damages, and torts occurring within Orange County may be heard.

Small Claims Court in Orange County will only undertake matters not exceeding $7,500 in valuation. Individuals are prohibited from filing for an excess of 2 Small Claims hearings exceeding $2,500 each on an annual basis.

Probate Court: A legal venue in which the appropriation of the estate belonging to a deceased individual takes place. This includes the judicial review of the following:

Wills and Testaments

Conservatorships

Single Party Inheritance

Descendent Guardianship 

Traffic and Accident Law: Vehicular and transportation matters requiring legal administration and regulation may be heard at the Orange County Superior Court. These matters will range in the requirement for a court appearance in lieu of the submission of required fees. This may include:

Required Fines and Fees

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

The Mandating of Citations

Punitive Recourse with regard to the Associated Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Criminal Law: The Orange County Superior Court will address matters in both civil jurisdictions, as well as those occurring within criminal jurisdictions. Criminal cases are considered to be affronts in the form of crime with regard to the general public within the public sector. This includes:

Juvenile and Minor Law: Hearings involving children and individuals not considered to be legal adults who have committed crimes and legal infractions.

Traffic and Accident Law: Vehicular and transportation matters requiring legal administration and regulation may be heard at the Orange County Superior Court. This includes hearings involving ticketing, citations, Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), and Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

With regard to legal matters involving a resident of Orange County, the following classifications of respective circumstances are applicable to Civil Law Cases:

Unlimited Civil Jurisdictions entail hearings in which the valuation of monies, assets, or properties is equal to or exceeds $25,000. These cases will require additional fees of $395 in order to be heard.

Limited Civil Jurisdictions entail hearings in which the valuation of monies, assets, or properties is less than $25,000.

The Orange County Clerk of Courts oversees the process of managing court documentation, but also undertaking the payment of fees online. The following details are pertinent with regard to both scheduling of fee payment, as well the procedural structuring of legal fees:

Fee structures, schedules, and payments are available both in virtual and physical formats.

Court forms and applicable documentation are provided in both online, as well as in hard copy form.

The Administration of Jury Duty.