The Central District of California covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. It has three divisions, each with its own courthouse. Here is where the court sits, who prosecutes and defends cases there, and where its rules are published.
Where does the court sit?
The district has three divisions (28 U.S.C. § 84(c)). Court for the Western Division is held at Los Angeles, for the Southern Division at Santa Ana, and for the Eastern Division in or near Riverside or San Bernardino. The court's site lists these courthouses:
Western Division: Los Angeles
Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez U.S. Courthouse, 350 West 1st Street, and Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 255 East Temple Street. Covers Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
Southern Division: Santa Ana
Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 411 West 4th Street. Covers Orange County.
Eastern Division: Riverside
George E. Brown, Jr. Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 3470 Twelfth Street. Covers Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
By statute, Eastern Division court may sit in Riverside, in San Bernardino, or at a site not more than 5 miles from the boundary of either city (28 U.S.C. § 84(c)(1)). The court's site lists only the Riverside courthouse.
United States District Court for the Central District of California
Which appeals court covers it?
Appeals from this court go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (28 U.S.C. §§ 41, 1294(1)). Its decisions are binding on the federal judges in this district, so its precedent governs cases here (uscourts.gov, About the U.S. Courts of Appeals).
Who prosecutes and who defends?
Federal prosecutors here work for the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Anyone charged with a federal crime who can’t afford a lawyer can ask the court to appoint one (18 U.S.C. § 3006A). Here, appointed lawyers come from the Federal Public Defender, Central District of California, a Federal Public Defender office, or from a panel of private lawyers the court approves.
Where are the local rules and sentencing procedures?
Every federal court follows the national rules, such as the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, plus its own local rules. This court publishes them on its local rules page.
The local criminal rules don't add their own presentence report deadlines. Local Criminal Rule 32-3.2 says the probation office sends the report to the lawyers electronically and that they must strictly follow the federal rule on objections, so the national schedule applies: the report goes to the defense at least 35 days before sentencing, and objections are due within 14 days (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(e)(2), (f)). Under L.Cr.R. 32-3.4, the defense lawyer must give the defendant the report to review, with an interpreter if needed.
“Counsel must observe strictly the requirements of F.R.Crim.P. 32(f) regarding objections to presentence reports.”
How does a lawyer from outside the district appear here?
In many federal courts, a lawyer who isn’t a member of the court’s bar must ask the judge for permission to appear in a specific case (often called pro hac vice admission), and many courts also require a lawyer who is a member of their bar to sponsor the request or appear alongside. The judge decides whether to allow it. In this court, the rule is L.R. 83-2.1.3, applied in criminal cases by L.Cr.R. 57-1.
“An attorney who is not a member of the State Bar of California may apply for permission to appear pro hac vice in a particular case in this Court”
Which federal prisons are in this district?
Bureau of Prisons facilities in this district (from bop.gov; each is in a county that 28 U.S.C. § 84(c) places in the Central District):
- MDC Los Angeles
Administrative security. 535 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles.
- FCI Victorville Medium I
Medium security, with a satellite camp. Victorville, San Bernardino County. Part of FCC Victorville.
- FCI Victorville Medium II
Medium security. Victorville, San Bernardino County. Part of FCC Victorville.
- USP Victorville
High security. Victorville, San Bernardino County. Part of FCC Victorville.
- FCI Lompoc I
Low security. Lompoc, Santa Barbara County. Part of FCC Lompoc.
- FCI Lompoc II
Low security, with a satellite camp. Lompoc, Santa Barbara County. Part of FCC Lompoc.
FCI Terminal Island in San Pedro does not appear on bop.gov's current list of BOP locations.
A prison being in this district doesn’t mean someone sentenced here will go there. The Bureau of Prisons decides where each person serves their sentence (18 U.S.C. § 3621(b)).
What families should know about federal cases in this district
- The first hearing comes fast. After an arrest, the person goes before a magistrate judge without unnecessary delay for an initial appearance (Fed. R. Crim. P. 5(a)). The judge decides whether they stay in custody while the case goes on (18 U.S.C. § 3142).
- Most felony cases start with an indictment. A grand jury decides in private whether to approve the charges (Fed. R. Crim. P. 6, 7).
- The presentence report matters. A federal probation officer writes a report on the offense and the person’s life before sentencing, and the defense can object to mistakes in it (Fed. R. Crim. P. 32(c)–(f)). Check this court’s schedule above.
- The judge decides the sentence. The judge must consider the Sentencing Guidelines and the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), including the person’s history and background. Families can write letters; there is no limit on the background information a judge may consider (18 U.S.C. § 3661).
- The appeal clock is short. A defendant’s notice of appeal is usually due within 14 days after the judgment is entered (Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)).
- Prison phones and email are monitored. Don’t discuss the case on them (28 C.F.R. § 540.102).
Questions about the Central District of California
Which courthouse will my loved one's case be in?
It depends on the division. The Central District of California has three: the Western Division in Los Angeles (Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties), the Southern Division in Santa Ana (Orange County), and the Eastern Division (Riverside and San Bernardino counties), whose courthouse is in Riverside (28 U.S.C. § 84(c)). The charging papers and the docket show the division.
Who prosecutes federal cases in the Central District of California?
The United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California (justice.gov/usao-cdca), part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
What if my loved one can't afford a lawyer?
The court can appoint one (18 U.S.C. § 3006A). In this district, appointed lawyers come from the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California or from a panel of private lawyers the court approves.
Where do appeals from this court go?
To the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (28 U.S.C. §§ 41, 1294(1)). A defendant's notice of appeal is usually due within 14 days after the judgment is entered (Fed. R. App. P. 4(b)(1)(A)).
Sources
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- C.D. Cal. locations
- 28 U.S.C. § 84
- C.D. Cal. Local Rules
- C.D. Cal. Local Civil Rules, Chapter I (June 1, 2026 PDF)
- C.D. Cal. Local Criminal Rules, Chapter III (Dec. 1, 2025 PDF)
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 (circuits)
- uscourts.gov: About the U.S. Courts of Appeals
- USAO Central District of California
- Federal Public Defender, C.D. Cal.
- MDC Los Angeles (bop.gov)
- FCI Victorville Medium I (bop.gov)
- FCI Victorville Medium II (bop.gov)
- USP Victorville (bop.gov)
- FCI Lompoc I (bop.gov)
- FCI Lompoc II (bop.gov)
- BOP locations list