How to Recall an Arrest Warrant in Catalina Court

Catalina Island is a tourist destination located about 20 miles off the coast of Southern California. The town of Avalon and its surrounding waters are home to world class diving, fishing, hiking, boating, drinking and getting arrested.

If you've been cited or arrested for a misdemeanor while visiting Catalina Island, you're in for a treat. The local sheriffs will arbitrarily assign a future court date for you to return and appear before a judge. More often than not, that date will be rescheduled. The DA may or may not notify you of the change. If you fail to appear on the proper date, a warrant will be issued for your arrest.

Local police also like to falsely advise people that their criminal cases can be addressed in Long Beach. Most of the time, they cannot. Felony cases are heard on the mainland, but misdemeanors and infractions from Catalina must be heard at the courthouse on the island.

The Catalina court is only open on alternating Fridays. The rest of the time, the building is dark and vacant. You cannot simply appear on an unscheduled date and ask to be heard by the judge.

If you appear at the Catalina courthouse on a date when the court is open but your case is not scheduled to be heard, you will be told to come back another time. The tiny courthouse in Avalon does not store its own files. All records are maintained back in Long Beach. Case files are flown out to Catalina by helicopter on their appointed hearing dates. If you appear on a date when DA left your paperwork back on the mainland, prepare to make another trip.

If you have an outstanding warrant from Catalina, your case must be added onto the court's calendar to be heard at a later date. To be added to the calendar in Catalina, you must speak to the court clerk in Long Beach (because that's where the case files are stored). Once the Long Beach clerk adds your case to the Catalina court's calendar, then you may plan to appear on the appointed date back in Catalina.

Or, you can have an experienced, local attorney handle the entire process for you. Our firm regularly appears in the Catalina court. We defend more cases in Avalon than any other private law firm in the state. Since we appear in Catalina so frequently, we do not charge our clients for travel time or expenses. In most misdemeanor cases, we can appear without you being personally present. We can save you the time, hassle and expense of returning to the island for multiple court appearances. Our office has extensive experience defending against all types of criminal offenses that are commonly filed on the island, including fishing violations, drunk in public, domestic violence, fighting and drug possession.

If you or a loved one has questions about appearing in court on Catalina Island, call us for a free attorney consultation. (714) 449-3335. Ask for John.

Thanks for reading.

Catalina Lawyer