Santa Ana, California Legal Overview The City of Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County, California. The main trial court for general and limited jurisdiction cases is the Orange Superior Court. This court has multiple locations across the county, which handle specific types of cases, but the main courthouse is in Santa Ana. Most of the criminal felonies, large civil cases above $25,000 and family law cases, such as divorce petitions, will be heard by the court divisions in Santa Ana.
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1. Civil cases below $25,000 are considered limited jurisdiction cases. Businesses and other organizations cannot file small claims that amount to more than $5,000. Individuals can file small claims of up to $10,000. A two-claim limit per year exists for all small claims that exceed $2,500. Small claims below $2,500 have no such limitations. A misdemeanor or traffic infraction where the punishment is a maximum fine of $1,000 or a one-year jail term or both is also a limited jurisdiction case.
Trending Santa Ana, California Legal Topics: Limited jurisdiction case appeals must be filed with the appellate division of the Orange Superior Court. Appeals against general jurisdiction cases originating from Santa Ana go to Division Three of the 4th District Court of Appeal, which is also based in Santa Ana. The state’s highest court is the California Supreme Court. A federal trial case for Santa Ana must be filed with the Santa Ana (Southern) Division of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. |