Arrested in Glendale or Burbank? What to Expect at the Glendale and Burbank Courthouses
The short answer: if you were arrested in Glendale or Burbank, your case will be prosecuted in Los Angeles County, and your first court date will usually be at the Glendale Courthouse or the Burbank Courthouse in the court's North Central District, with many felony cases moving to the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles. You will be booked by the Glendale Police Department or the Burbank Police Department, released on citation, on bail, or under the court's pre-arraignment release rules, and given a date to appear. This guide from our Glendale and Burbank criminal defense practice walks through what happens between the arrest and the first few court dates, what the prosecutor is doing in the background, and the mistakes that cost people the most. Courthouse assignments and calendars change, so confirm the current location and department on the Los Angeles Superior Court's website before you go.
Where Do Glendale and Burbank Criminal Cases Go to Court?
Two separate cities, one county court system. Glendale and Burbank each have their own police department, but neither has its own court system. Every criminal case arising in Glendale, Burbank, La Crescenta, Montrose, La Cañada Flintridge, and the surrounding foothill communities is filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Misdemeanors from the two cities are generally calendared at the Glendale Courthouse or the Burbank Courthouse, and felonies are often arraigned locally and then transferred to a felony hub such as the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center or the Pasadena Courthouse, depending on the charge and the court's current assignment plan. Confirm the courthouse printed on your citation, bail paperwork, or release form, and check the court's website for changes.
Who prosecutes. Felony cases from Glendale and Burbank are prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Misdemeanors may be handled by the District Attorney or, for some matters, by a city attorney's office, depending on the city and the type of offense. The prosecutor's identity matters because filing policies, diversion practices, and typical plea offers differ between offices. Your lawyer will know which office is on the other side before the first court date.
Why the courthouse matters. The same charge can be handled very differently from one Los Angeles County courthouse to another. Judges in the smaller branch courts tend to know the regular prosecutors and defense attorneys, calendars move faster, and informal resolutions are common. Felony hubs downtown run heavier calendars and more formal procedures. Knowing where your case will land shapes the defense plan from day one, which is one reason to read what happens after you are charged in California before your first appearance.
What Happens at Booking After a Glendale or Burbank Arrest?
Booking is where the record starts. After an arrest, Glendale officers typically book arrestees at the Glendale Police Department's jail facility, and Burbank officers at the Burbank Police Department's jail. Some arrestees, especially those facing serious felonies or those who cannot be released quickly, are transferred to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department facility such as the Inmate Reception Center or the women's facility in Lynwood. Booking means fingerprints, photographs, a property inventory, a check for warrants, and a record of the charges the arresting officer believes are supported. Those arrest charges are not the final charges; the prosecutor decides what to file.
Do not talk your way through booking. Officers may continue asking questions during and after booking, and anything you say can be used against you. The Fifth Amendment and Miranda v. Arizona (1966) 384 U.S. 436 protect you only if you clearly say that you want a lawyer and that you will not answer questions. Read what not to say to police in California and whether you can talk your way out of charges before you assume a short explanation will help. It almost never does.
Phone calls from jail are recorded. Jail calls, other than properly placed calls to your attorney, are recorded and are routinely pulled by prosecutors. In domestic violence cases, a call to the other party from the jail can itself be a new crime under Penal Code section 166 once an emergency protective order is in place. Use your calls to arrange a lawyer and a ride, not to discuss the facts.
How Does Release Work: Citation, Bail, or Pre-Arraignment Release?
Many misdemeanors end in a citation. Under Penal Code section 853.6, a person arrested for most misdemeanors is released with a written promise to appear unless an exception applies, such as intoxication, an outstanding warrant, or a reason to believe the person will not appear. The citation lists a courthouse and a date. That date is a real court date even though you were never in a cell overnight. If you ignore it, the court can issue a bench warrant under Penal Code section 978.5, as explained in what happens if you miss court in California.
Los Angeles County's pre-arraignment release rules. Los Angeles Superior Court has adopted pre-arraignment release protocols under which many people arrested for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies are released before arraignment on their own recognizance or with conditions, while others are held for a magistrate's review of release conditions, and the most serious charges remain on the county bail schedule. The California Supreme Court held in In re Humphrey (2021) 11 Cal.5th 135 that a court may not set bail at an amount a defendant cannot afford without first considering ability to pay and whether non-financial conditions would protect public safety and ensure appearance. The protocols change, so confirm the current rules on the court's website. Our guide to how bail works in San Bernardino County explains the underlying bail concepts, which are the same statewide.
Bail bonds and bail hearings. If bail is set, you can post the full amount with the court, use a licensed bail agent, or ask the court to lower bail or release you on your own recognizance under Penal Code section 1270 and Penal Code section 1275, which require the court to weigh public safety, the seriousness of the charge, your record, and the likelihood you will appear. For certain serious or domestic violence charges listed in Penal Code section 1270.1, the court must hold a noticed hearing before departing from the schedule. A lawyer who appears at that hearing with proof of employment, residence, and ties to Glendale or Burbank can make a real difference.
What Happens at Arraignment at the Glendale or Burbank Courthouse?
Arraignment is the first court date. If you remain in custody, Penal Code section 825 requires that you be brought before a judge within 48 hours of arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays. If you were cited or bailed out, your arraignment is the date on your paperwork, often several weeks later. At arraignment under Penal Code section 988, the court tells you the charges, confirms you have a lawyer or appoints the public defender if you qualify, takes a plea, addresses release conditions, and sets the next date. Most people plead not guilty at arraignment to preserve every option while the defense obtains the evidence.
Sometimes nothing is filed yet. The arresting agency sends its reports to the prosecutor, who decides whether to file. If no complaint is on file by your citation date, the clerk will usually tell you no case has been filed and that you will be notified by mail if charges are filed later, within the limitations period in Penal Code section 802 for misdemeanors or Penal Code section 801 for most felonies. Keep your address current with the court and the police agency. Read what prosecutors look at before filing charges to understand what happens in that gap, and why a lawyer's letter to the filing deputy during that window can sometimes keep a weak case from being filed at all.
Appearing through your lawyer in a misdemeanor. Under Penal Code section 977, subdivision (a), a person charged only with misdemeanors may generally appear through counsel without being personally present, with exceptions for domestic violence and certain other cases where the court requires personal presence. In a felony case, you must be personally present at arraignment, the preliminary hearing, and other critical stages unless the court permits otherwise. Our guide on whether you have to go to court for a misdemeanor explains the exceptions.
Protective orders at arraignment. In domestic violence, stalking, and witness-related cases, the court will usually issue a criminal protective order on form CR-160 under Penal Code section 136.2 at the first appearance. If you share a home or children with the protected person, your lawyer should be prepared to argue for a peaceful contact order or for terms that allow custody exchanges. Our article on the criminal protective order under Penal Code 136.2 explains the choices, and our domestic violence restraining order practice handles the parallel family court case.
How Do Misdemeanor Cases Move at the Glendale and Burbank Courthouses?
Discovery first. After arraignment, the prosecutor must turn over the police reports, witness statements, body camera and dash camera footage, photographs, and any exculpatory evidence under Penal Code section 1054.1 and Brady v. Maryland (1963) 373 U.S. 83. In Glendale and Burbank arrests, that often includes retail surveillance video, Glendale or Burbank police body camera footage, and, in DUI cases, breath or blood results and the station video. Our guide to how discovery works in a California criminal case explains what to demand and when.
Pretrial conferences and offers. Most misdemeanors are set for one or more pretrial conferences, where the defense and the prosecutor discuss the evidence, motions, and a possible resolution. Typical outcomes range from dismissal to diversion to a plea to a reduced charge. Offers tend to improve when the defense has identified a real problem with the case, such as a suppression issue under Penal Code section 1538.5, a missing witness, or a video that does not match the report. Read what makes a criminal case weak and should you take a plea deal before you decide.
Diversion in Los Angeles County. For many misdemeanors, judges may grant diversion over the prosecutor's objection under Penal Code section 1001.95, which excludes certain offenses including domestic violence, stalking, and DUI. Mental health diversion under Penal Code section 1001.36 and military diversion under Penal Code section 1001.80 are also available in appropriate cases. Successful diversion ends in a dismissal and allows you to say you were never convicted in most contexts. Our guides to misdemeanor diversion and mental health diversion explain eligibility.
How Do Felony Cases From Glendale and Burbank Move?
Felony arraignment and the preliminary hearing. A felony begins with arraignment on a complaint, then a preliminary hearing within 10 court days of arraignment if you are in custody, and in any event within 60 calendar days unless you waive time, under Penal Code section 859b. At the preliminary hearing, the prosecutor must show probable cause under Penal Code section 872. Officers may testify to hearsay statements, so the hearing is rarely a dismissal, but it is the defense's first chance to cross-examine and lock in testimony. Read what actually happens at a preliminary hearing for a full walkthrough.
Transfer downtown and motions. After a holding order, the case is arraigned on an information, often at a felony hub, and the defense can bring a motion to dismiss under Penal Code 995 if the evidence at the preliminary hearing was insufficient, along with suppression motions and Pitchess motions for officer personnel records. Many felonies are wobblers that a court can reduce to misdemeanors under Penal Code section 17, subdivision (b), as explained in our 17(b) reduction guide. A dismissed felony is not always the end, because the prosecutor can often refile once, as our same-day guide to refiling charges after dismissal under Penal Code 1387 explains.
Common Mistakes After a Glendale or Burbank Arrest
Missing the DMV deadline after a DUI. A DUI arrest in Glendale or Burbank triggers a separate DMV case. You have 10 days from the arrest to request an administrative hearing under Vehicle Code section 13353.2, or the suspension takes effect automatically. Read our DMV hearing guide and our DUI defense page.
Contacting the protected person. In a domestic violence case, texting or calling the other party after an emergency protective order or criminal protective order is a new charge and the fastest way to lose a favorable offer. Our guide to the emergency protective order after a domestic violence arrest explains the restrictions.
Talking to the detective or posting online. Detectives in Glendale and Burbank often call arrestees for a "follow-up" before the filing decision. Read what to do when a detective calls. Posts, deleted messages, and texts are routinely recovered, as explained in can the police use your text messages against you.
Waiting to hire a lawyer. The weeks before the first court date are when a defense lawyer can gather surveillance video before it is overwritten, contact the filing deputy, and prepare a release argument. Daniel Gramling, Esq. offers flat-fee criminal defense and limited-scope options so you know the cost before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which courthouse handles arrests in Glendale and Burbank?
Usually the Glendale Courthouse or the Burbank Courthouse in the Los Angeles Superior Court's North Central District. Felonies are often arraigned locally and then transferred to a felony hub such as the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center downtown. Check the courthouse printed on your citation or release paperwork and confirm it on the court's website, because assignments change.
How soon after a Glendale or Burbank arrest is the first court date?
Within 48 hours if you are in custody, often weeks later if you were cited or bailed out. Penal Code section 825 requires an in-custody arrestee to see a judge within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays. If you were released, your citation or bail paperwork lists the date, and the prosecutor may not have filed charges yet when that date arrives.
Do I have to appear in person for a misdemeanor in Los Angeles County?
Often no, if your lawyer appears for you. Penal Code section 977, subdivision (a), lets most misdemeanor defendants appear through counsel, but domestic violence and some other cases require personal presence, and the judge can always order you to appear. Felony defendants must be present at arraignment and the preliminary hearing.
Can I get released without bail after an arrest in Glendale or Burbank?
Often yes for misdemeanors and many lower-level felonies. Los Angeles Superior Court's pre-arraignment release protocols release many arrestees on their own recognizance or with conditions, and In re Humphrey (2021) 11 Cal.5th 135 requires the court to consider ability to pay before setting bail you cannot afford. Serious and violent charges still fall under the bail schedule and may require a noticed hearing under Penal Code section 1270.1.
Will a Glendale or Burbank arrest show up on a background check?
The arrest can appear even without a conviction, but there are remedies. If no charges are filed or the case is dismissed, you may be eligible to seal the arrest under Penal Code section 851.91. If you are convicted and complete probation, Penal Code section 1203.4 relief on form CR-180 may be available, as explained in our expungement guide.
Do I need a lawyer for a first court date in Glendale or Burbank?
Yes, and ideally before the first court date. A lawyer can contact the filing deputy, preserve video evidence, prepare the release argument, and appear for you in most misdemeanors. Our guides on whether you need a lawyer for a misdemeanor and public defender versus private attorney explain the options.
Talk to a Glendale and Burbank Criminal Defense Lawyer
Gramling Law Group defends misdemeanor and felony cases at the Glendale and Burbank courthouses, the Pasadena Courthouse, the Van Nuys Courthouse, and the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, and throughout Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire, Orange County, and Southern California. Daniel Gramling, Esq. offers flat-fee criminal defense and limited-scope options for clients in Glendale, Burbank, La Crescenta, La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, and Los Angeles. Call (909) 654-4575 or contact us through this website for a consultation.
This article is educational and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It addresses California law only.
Related Guides From Gramling Law Group
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