Civil Court
Civil cases involve a dispute between two or more parties over an injury, their rights, or their obligations. Civil cases do not involve a person being prosecuted for violating a criminal law. The Court's Civil Division handles non-criminal cases other than family, juvenile, probate, and small claims cases.
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CATEGORIES OF CIVIL CASES
There are two main categores of civil cases: unlimited jurisdiction and limited jurisdiction.
In unlimited jurisdiction cases, the financial amount in dispute is usually more than $25,000.
In limited jurisdiction cases, the financial amount in dispute is usually $25,000 or less.
Various types of hearings can take place in a civil case, including case management conferences, law and motion hearings, settlement conferences, status conferences, and trials. A trial is called a jury trial if there is a jury present, or a court trial if a judge hears the case without a jury.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
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COURTHOUSE INFORMATION
COURT REPORTERS
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Alternative Dispute Resolution Information
Alternative Dispute Resolution
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NEWS & INFORMATION
The services of official court reporters will not normally be available during regular court hours.
General civil documents may only be filed at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland and the Hayward Hall of Justice. This includes Small Claims and Unlawful Detainer cases. Once a case is assigned to a judicial officer, all subsequent documents should be filed at the court location where that judicial officer sits.
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