Superior Court of Kern

Introduction:

The superior court of Kern is a city courthouse in Kern County. The building was completed and established in 1952. It has jurisdiction over criminal, small claims, civil, family, traffic, and vehicle matters. Remote Court Hearing and Interpreter services are also available. This court provides online services like e-file, online payment, transcript requests, online payment, and many more, so it is not mandatory to go to court for these types of services. The superior court located in this county is:

• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT – DELANO
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- KERN RIVER
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- LAMONT
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- METROPOLITAN DIVISION
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- METROPOLITAN DIVISION JUSTICE BUILDING
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- METROPOLITAN TRAFFIC DIVISION
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- MOJAVE
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- RIDGECREST
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- SHAFTER
• KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT- TAFT

How can case information be searched?

Superior Court of Kern case search can be found online using the court online case information service. Information can be searched on the Kern County Superior Court portal if registered. If you are not a registered user, you can search using the case number, defendant Name, or the Hearing Date. The KCSC portal allows registered users to search for cases information using the following:

• Search by Business Name
• Search by Case Number
• Search by Filed Date
• Search by Party Name

Using that portal, you can also see today’s hearing or your hearing date.

How can I make a payment?

Superior Court of Kern fines and traffic tickets payments can be made in the following ways:

· In-Person:

A person can pay for tickets and fines by visiting the court during regular court hours and paying in cash, checks, or with a card at the counter window. Take your ticket when you are coming for payment. 2.5% surcharges will be applied if you make payment with a credit card. 

· Online: 

Online traffic tickets or other fines can be made using the Kern Superior Court Self-Service Payment Portal https://www.officialpayments.com/pc_entry_cobrand.jsp?productId=370838958768749640404564048501012665.Enter the Ticket/Citation, case, docket or reference number. Your case with the amount of the fine will be displayed. Select the payment option and pay the amount online. The service fees will be applied in this case. Instalments regarding payment options are also available. You can also apply for traffic school or an extension in payment for traffic ticket citations only.

· Mail: 

A Person can send a certified check or money order to the court’s mailing address; 1415 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301, United States. Cash or personal checks are not acceptable in the mail; only certified checks or money orders are accepted. Remember to write your citation when you send the payment, and mail the amount in a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want a receipt.

How to appear remotely?

Kern County Superior Court remote appearances for some eligible cases are possible using telephone and video conferencing in the zoom application. In-person hearing is now started, but if some members want audio or video live to stream, then the person has to submit the local form of KRN SUP CRT MI-0315 five days before the hearing. The judicial officer will respond to your request. If your request is accepted, you can join the stream via the zoom application in a video conference, and the phone number will be given to you in the audio case. Make sure your internet connection is strong. Mute your microphone and speak only when the judge calls your name. It is recommended to avoid running unnecessary applications when you are in the hearing. Wear a proper dress and sit where your face is visible. Recording for the case hearing is not allowed. Recording for the case hearing is strictly not allowed.

Which types of cases do the Delano division deal with?

Kern County Superior Court – Delano division deals with criminal, traffic, family, and small claims cases. You can bring these types of cases there for a solution. The working hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm from Monday to Thursday and 8:00 am to 12:00 pm on Friday.

What can Alternative Dispute Resolution do?

Kern County Superior Court- Lamont deals with the civil cases in that county. The ADR is a resolution offered by this superior court, which is very helpful in civil cases. It is a way to solve civil dispute cases with any court trial or without going to court. This resolution gives many alternative resolution processes to the lawsuit and includes meditation, Dispute Resolution Program Act, Arbitration, and many more processes.

Which issues are handled by the family law division?

Kern County Superior Court- Shafter, Mojave, Metro Justice Building, Ridgecrest, and Delona deal with all the matters related to family law. The family law division issues that this court handles are legal issues, including:

• Issue of Divorce, Legal Separation, Nullity
• Parentage Issue
• Issues related to Child Custody and Visitation
• Child Support, Spousal Support, Family Support Issues
• Domestic Violence Restraining Orders Issues
• Elder Abuse Issues

How can a divorce case be filed?

Kern County Superior Court- Family Division handles the divorce case. You can file a divorce case even if your spouse does not agree to it, and it is only filled if you have been in this county for the past three months and your spouse must also be in this county for the last 6 months. You can come and fill in all the information and submit some documents to the court clerk’s office. The fee for divorce cases is from $435 to $450.You can apply for a fee waiver if you cannot afford the fees. Visit the Self-Help Guide of California Court https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorce-california.

How to deal with traffic tickets?

Kern County Superior Court – Metropolitan Traffic Division, Shafter, Lamont, Mojave, Ridgecrest, and Delano deal with all the matters related to traffic tickets. If you receive a traffic ticket indicating a mandatory appearance from any of these courts, you must appear in court on the citation date. Still, if the ticket does not indicate a mandatory appearance, then three options are available that are: 

• Pay the traffic ticket fine online, by mail, or by visiting the court front counter
• Attend the Traffic School if your violation is eligible for this school
• Appear in the court if you want to deal directly with the judge

Kern County Superior Court – Metropolitan Traffic Division allows a person to come to the court clerk’s office before the schedule if they want to appear in court.

How can small claim cases be filled?

Kern County small claims court handles all the matters in which a person sues another person for money and personal damage within the limit of $10,000. For businesses, the limit is $5000. The cases can be resolved in quick, informal, and inexpensive ways. You can take advice from a lawyer or attorney in these cases, but the lawyer or attorney is not allowed during the hearing. Rules followed in these cases are very simple, and the hearing is informal. The case can be filled out by filling out the form available at the clerk’s office, online using e-filling, mailing the form at the court, or using the file at home small claims option. Fill in your and the defendant’s personal information, the reason for your claim, and the amount you are suing. The cases can only be filled if the plaintiff’s age is 18+; otherwise, the guardian must come with the minor. After the claim is filed, the court clerk will mail the defendant about the case and the schedule. The fees depend upon the amount of money you are claiming. The fee schedule contains all the information about the court fees. The court also allows community mediation in which the trained mediators will design a program to work for both parties. They try to resolve the disputes before the filing of the case. It is a good idea to try that program without cost before filing the case.

Which type of juvenile cases are handled by this court?

Kern County Juvenile court handles matters related to minor offenses. Three types of cases are handled by this court that are:

· Juvenile Dependency:

In this type, the cases handled are those in which a juvenile is neglected and abused, the legal guardian does domestic violence, etc.

· Juvenile Delinquency:

It includes cases in which a juvenile violates the rules and is charged with violating the law, and it is considered a crime if an adult commits it.

· Juvenile Traffic Citation: 

It includes cases in which the minor had to violate the traffic rules. In this type of case, the appearance of the legal guardian is mandatory. You had to make an appointment with the metropolitan division quickly after you received the citation because this court had less space, and the schedule will be booked quickly.

All juvenile matters are confidential, and the data is only given to those who are part of the case.

How many steps are followed for juror services?

Kern County juror services are civic duties that are very important. When you apply for this service, then a schedule is given, and you have to report on that schedule for selection; if you are selected, then your trial duration will approximately last for one or five days. When you pass the trial, your obligation service for one year has started. If you cannot submit your document before the deadline or your age is under 18, you are disqualified for the services. After you are selected, a badge number will be provided to you, and you can access the portal with your badge number and date of birth.

Which services are provided by this court?

Kern County services that are provided by this court online are:

• Transcript Request Service
• Court Record Request Service
• Probate Note Request Service
• Self- Help Services

You can email self-help by filling out a form with your personal information.

How can probate notes be searched?

Kern County Superior Court- Juvenile Justice Center deals with all the matters related to probate and juvenile cases. The probate notes can be searched by using the KCSC portal. Enter the case number and fill in the captcha. The probation notes with all the details of the hearing date, type, and description will be displayed according to your data. If your case date is not decided, no data will be found on the calendar.

How can transcript requests for cases be made?

Kern County transcript requests for some division cases can be made after entering your personal information, which includes first and last name, city, phone number, zip code, email, and reason and then entering your case information, which includes plaintiff and defendant information. Select the hearing date and submit the request. The court will respond after receiving the request. The court will not provide a transcript for family law, probate, felony criminal and unlimited civil cases.

When will the court order a restraining order?

The court orders the Kern County restraining order when a person wants protection from harm, violence or harassment. You can request a restraining order for civil harassment, domestic violence, Elder abuse, violence in the workplace and child abuse. Click on the types of violence to get information on all processes included in this order.

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