Harbor Justice Center

Judges & courtrooms

Harbor Justice Center is an Orange County Superior Court, the first level of state court in California that has jurisdiction on all criminal and civil matters.

The six California Courts of Appeal have appellate jurisdiction over the Superior Courts in their districts, and in turn the Supreme Court of California has jurisdiction over all state appellate courts.

As of 2018, California Superior Courts have 1,732 authorized judges and hundreds of commissioners and referees. Judges are elected by county voters at a general election and serve 6 year terms.

The Governor fills any vacancies through appointment. All superior court judges are required to have been an attorney or judge in California and members of the California State Bar for at least the 10 years immediately preceding election or appointment.

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Harbor Justice Center judges of record as of 6/9/20 were as follows:

Hon. JOHN S. ADAMS
Dept H-2, (657) 622-5402
Harbor Panel Judge

Hon. MATTHEW S. ANDERSON
Dept H-4, (657) 622-5404
Harbor Panel Supervising Judge, DUI Court, Drug Court for Drug Charges

Hon. CARLTON P. BIGGS.
Dept H-5, (657) 622-5405
Harbor Panel Judge

Commr. MAX B. DE LIEMA
Dept H-14, (657) 622-5414
Harbor Panel – Traffic Arraignments

Hon. DEREK G. JOHNSON
Dept H-9, (657) 622-5409
Harbor Panel

Hon. GREGORY W. JONES
Dept H-7, (657) 622-5407
Harbor Panel – Felony Arraignments

Hon. M. MARC KELLY
Dept H-11, (657) 622-5411
Harbor Panel – Misdemeanor Post Conviction

Hon. BRETT G. LONDON
Dept H-8, (657) 622-5408
Harbor Panel – Misdemeanor Arraignments

Hon. JOY WIESENFELD MARKMAN
Dept H-3, (657) 622-5403
Harbor Panel – Open Trial Court

Hon. MICHAEL S. MCCARTIN
Dept H-10, (657) 622-5410
Harbor Panel – Civil, Small claims, Ex Parte, UDs

Hon. RICHARD E. PACHECO
Dept H-12, (657) 622-5412
Harbor Panel

Hon. KAREN L. ROBINSON
Dept H-1, (657) 622-5401
Harbor Panel

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Court Statistics

How long does it take OC courts to process a DUI case?

Analysis by the California Department of Motor Vehicles shows that Orange County courts vary widely in how long they take to adjudicate DUI cases. The median time from DUI violation to conviction for the 6 Orange County DUI courts ranged from 45 days to 137 days.

The Harbor Justice Center Newport Beach courthouse processed 4,704 DUI cases, more than any other court in Southern California except Metropolitan court in downtown Los Angeles.

Median time from DUI arrest to conviction in Orange County Courts:

• Laguna Hills: 45 days
• Fullerton: 89 days
• Santa Ana: 96 days
• Westminster: 102 days
• Juvenile Court: 110 days
• Newport Beach: 137 days

Source: Department of Motor Vehicles

How do Orange County DUI arrest and conviction rates compare to other California counties?

Orange County has a reputation for being very tough on DUI and data collected by the California Department of Motor Vehicles confirms it is true. Among all California counties, Orange County had the second highest DUI conviction rate in the entire state after Shasta county.

California DUI conviction rates by county:

• Orange County: 91.2%
• Ventura County: 87.6%
• Riverside County: 84.8%
• San Diego County: 81.6%
• San Bernardino County: 75.4%
• Los Angeles County: 73.7%

Orange County’s DUI arrest rate is one of the lowest in California

While conviction rates are high, the Orange County rate of arrest for DUI of 70 per 100,000 residents is one of the lowest in California. Only Contra Costa (60), San Francisco (30) and Santa Clara (60) have lower arrest rates. Sparsely populated Alpine County had the state’s highest DUI arrest rate at 420.

California DUI arrest rates by county (per 100,000 residents):

• Orange County: 70
• Ventura County: 80
• Riverside County: 80
• San Diego County: 80
• Los Angeles County: 70

Top 10 Orange County cities with the most DUI arrests

Orange County is California’s third largest county with over 3.1 million residents in 34 cities encompassing a 794 square mile metropolitan area. According to the California Department of Transportation, there are 300 route miles of highway on 17 state highways.

DUI arrests happen all over Orange County. According to law enforcement data published by the California Office of Traffic Safety, here are the top 10 Orange County cities ranked by number of DUI arrests per year:

1. Huntington Beach: 858 DUI arrests
2. Orange: 747 DUI arrests
3. Santa Ana: 650 DUI arrests
4. Fullerton: 614 DUI arrests
5. Irvine: 501 DUI arrests
6. Anaheim: 480 DUI arrests
7. Newport Beach: 447 DUI arrests
8. Costa Mesa: 356 DUI arrests
9. Garden Grove: 354 DUI arrests
10. Mission Viejo: 118 DUI arrests

Free childcare

Children’s Chambers free childcare while in court

Harbor Justice Center offers professionally trained staff to interact with your child in a classroom like setting with enrichment activities designed to keep your child occupied while you attend to your Newport courthouse business. Free snacks are provided and the classroom is nut free.

Process: To register your child, obtain a referral from the Newport district court bailiff, counter staff, clerk or any Sheriff deputy. No reservations are required. Ages 2 1/2 to 16 years old. The harbor courthouse Newport Beach childcare policy requires that children must be fully potty trained (no diapers or pull-ups).

Hours: Open 8:00am to 5:00pm, closed for lunch 12:15pm to 1:15pm.

Phone: (657) 622-7991

More childcare information

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Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyer at Harbor Justice Center

Chudnovsky Law is a premier Orange County Criminal Defense Lawyer
Our lawyers skillfully defend clients facing DUI and criminal charges in the Harbor Justice Center and throughout Orange County & Los Angeles. Our office is located near Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.

Office location

Chudnovsky Law – Criminal & DUI Lawyers
Near Harbor Justice Center & Fashion Island
23 Corporate Plaza Drive, Suite 150
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 750-2500
Google map

Orange County courthouse addresses

The presiding judge designates cases to be heard and tried in the various courts according to this court matrix. Chudnovsky Law criminal defense lawyers represent clients in all Orange County courthouse addresses:

Central Justice Center
700 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Civil Complex Center
751 West Santa Ana Blvd
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Community Court
909 North Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Harbor Justice Center
4601 Jamboree Road
Newport Beach, CA 92660

Lamoreaux Justice Center
341 The City Drive South
Orange, CA 92868-3205

North Justice Center
1275 North Berkeley Avenue
Fullerton, CA 92832

Orange County Men’s Jail, Dept CJ1
550 North Flower Street
Santa Ana, CA 92703

West Justice Center
8141 13th Street
Westminster, CA 92683

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DUI Defense information

DUI Attorney Huntington Beach | Santa Monica DUI Lawyer | DUI Defence Lawyers

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Jury service information

Responding to jury summons via eJuror

If you have received a jury summons from the Orange County Superior Court , you can use the eJuror portal to respond to the summons by clicking here.

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The following information is from the Harbor Justice Center jury service website:

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What to expect on your jury service day at Harbor Justice Center

Jurors reporting to the Harbor Justice Center should arrive at the courthouse by 8:00 AM unless otherwise instructed by the voice/web call in message. Report to the Jury assembly room 222 on the 2nd floor.

Juror hours are 8:00AM to 5:00PM unless otherwise informed by court personnel.

As the temperature in the Newport district court varies with preferences and areas, dress in layers, comfortably but appropriately. Shorts and tank tops are not permissible attire.

Agenda for the Day

Once at the justice center, your jury service day will most likely proceed as follows:

1) Check-in

• Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. It is important to check in so you will receive credit for the day.
• Jury badge will be provided, which you need to wear at all times during your jury service period.
• If you lost your summons, present your driver’s license to Jury staff to check in. A badge will be issued to you.

2) Brochure/Facilities

• A brochure is provided in the jury assembly room to help familiarize you with the requirements of jury service and to find out what will happen. Click here for an online preview of the brochure.
• Free wireless internet access is available.
• Magazines are available in the jury assembly room. They are donated items so may not be your preferred materials. Bring your favorite book or jigsaw puzzle to work on if you like.
• Restroom facilities are located outside the jury assembly room.

3) Orientation

• At approximately 9:45 AM, a jury staff member will welcome all jurors and provide a brief orientation followed by a video. Click here for a video preview.

4) Assignments to Courtrooms

• Courtroom assignments begin after orientation, on most days at 10:00 am. Prospective jurors are randomly selected and sent to courtrooms for jury selection. Jury staff will call the jurors’ names and direct them to the courtroom they are assigned to.
• The judge presiding on the trial will advise jurors of the particulars of the case, including whether it is a civil or criminal case and how long the trial will last.
• Once you have been dismissed from a courtroom, you must check in again with Jury staff in the jury assembly room.
• Courtroom assignments will continue as needed throughout the day.

5) Break

• A morning break will be announced as time permits.

6) Lunch

• A lunch break is generally announced at 12:00PM and will last until 1:30PM.
• Maps to nearby restaurants are available in the jury assembly room. A microwave is available for your use in the jury assembly room.

7) Break

• An afternoon break will be announced as time permits.

8) Release

• Upon ensuring that no more jury selections are scheduled for the day, prospective jurors not assigned to a courtroom will be released for the day, generally at 4:00PM. This is not a definite time as jurors may be required by the Newport district court to remain available in the jury assembly room until after 5:00PM. On light days, jurors may be released earlier than 4:00PM.

9) Proof of Service

• A Certificate of Jury Service form will be available in the jury assembly room at the end of the day. If you are on a trial, the courtroom Sheriff personnel or courtroom attendant will provide you with a certificate.

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Full Security Facility

The Harbor Justice Center is a Full Security facility. All persons entering the building will be required to pass through a weapons screening device and have all hand-carried objects x-rayed. Weapons of any type will not be permitted into the Justice Center. Items such as: knives, including pocket knives, scissors, corkscrews, mace, pepper spray, knitting needles, etc., which may be deemed potentially offensive and dangerous by the Sheriff’s Department will not be allowed in the building.

Term of Service

The Orange County Superior Court’s term of service is one-day or one-trial. At the conclusion of the initial day of service, jurors not sworn to serve on a trial and not ordered to return for a second or subsequent days of jury selection will have completed their jury service for a minimum of one year. Trials typically last between four and six days.

Assignments

Prospective jurors are assigned to the courtroom at random throughout the day. Jurors should listen carefully for their name when Jury staff announce assignments. Once in the courtroom, the judge will advise the panel of prospective jurors of the particulars of the case, including whether it is a civil or criminal case and how long the trial is estimated to last. Jurors dismissed from a courtroom are generally instructed to return to the Office of the Jury Commissioner. They must check in and will be made available for an assignment to other pending trials unless otherwise indicated by staff.

Matters requiring the judge’s and attorneys’ time before the trial can start often arise unexpectedly creating delays in assignments to the courtroom and causing jurors to have to wait in the jury assembly room. Although regrettable, these matters cannot be predicted and must be resolved.

Facilities

• The courthouse is a non-smoking facility.
• Free wireless internet access is available. Jurors only need a laptop equipped with Wi-Fi to access the Internet. They will receive instructions from Jury staff, connect to the wireless network and launch their browser.
• Users of the service are able to send and receive emails, conduct web research, and retrieve documents from online repositories.
• TV and magazines are available in the jury assembly room. They are donated items so may not be current.
• In the event of an emergency (fire, earthquake, etc.) Jury staff will instruct jurors on what to do and whether it is necessary to evacuate. Jurors assigned to a courtroom will receive instructions from the Harbor Municipal Court Newport Beach attendant or Sheriff personnel.

Proof of Service

A Certificate of Jury Service form will be available in the jury assembly room at the end of the day. Sworn jurors serving on a trial will be provided a certificate by the courtroom attendant or Sheriff personnel.

Fees

Jurors are not compensated for the first day of service. Jurors will be paid a fee of $15.00 a day and reimbursement of 34 cents a mile from their home to the courthouse (one-way) beginning the second day of service, except when the juror is employed by a federal, state, or local government entity, or by any other public entity as defined by Section 241.200 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Effective August 2004, those jurors are no longer paid the juror fee.

Payments to jurors are processed bi-weekly and should reach jurors within three to five weeks after their service. Depending on the processing date, jurors may receive several checks in payment for their service.

Fee Waiver Program

The fee waiver program reduces Harbor Court Newport Beach costs and saves tax dollars since the cost to produce the average check exceeds the check value. Please check with your employer before waiving your juror fees as we are aware that some employers who provide paid jury service leave require that their employees surrender fees paid by the court. For information regarding this program, please see a Jury staff member to waive your jury fees and mileage.

Jury Selection

When a jury trial is ready to begin, a panel of prospective jurors is sent to the courtroom for jury selection. In the courtroom, they are administered the prospective jurors’ oath, which basically requires them to tell the truth when answering questions. The judge then informs prospective jurors of the particulars of the case.

Jury selection begins with 12 or more prospective jurors being called into the jury box. They are asked questions to determine if they are free of bias or whether there is any other reason why any of them cannot be fair and impartial. The judge and lawyers may excuse individual jurors from service for various reasons.

The process of questioning and excusing jurors, which may last more than one day, continues until 12 persons are accepted as jurors for the trial. Alternate jurors may also be selected. Unless otherwise ordered, any remaining prospective jurors on the panel are returned to the jury assembly room for another possible jury selection.

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For more detailed information on the jury selection process as well as the trial and deliberation processes, please visit: About the trial process