MEDIA RELATIONS

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office believes in forming and maintaining positive relationships with news journalists, television and movie producers, and community reporters.

As much as we would like to provide answers to the media in regards to cases being handled by our office, we are limited in what we can provide prior, during and after a case is tried in court.

We can release to the media the following information:

  • The charging document
  • Name, age, city of residence of the defendant
  • Fact specifics of the case
  • Bail amount
  • Any information which may be necessary to keep the community safe
  • Next court appearance date
  • Bail amount

Court files are public records and subject to public inspection. California Rules of Court, rule 2.400(a) states that all papers in the court files may be inspected by the public in the office of the clerk. Rule 2.550(a) says that unless confidential or sealed by law, all court records are presumed open. The District Attorney’s Office does not release copies of court files. Reporters wishing to obtain copies of a court file should go to the Clerk’s Office in person and request the file. The Superior Court Clerk’s Office will not fax or send electronic copies of court files.

The public may view and obtain copies of the following case types:

  • Criminal
  • Civil
  • Domestic (Divorce, child custody, legal separation, and domestic violence
  • Mental Health (Criminal and civil)
  • Minor Offenses (Traffic, infractions, civil)
  • Probate
  • Small Claims

In most cases you can locate a court file either via the court’s online case search or by going to the court location where the case was tried.

Permission to film inside the San Bernardino County Superior Court lies solely at the discretion of the court. You will need to submit form MC500 – Request to Photograph, Record or Broadcast and/or MC510 – Order on Media Request to Permit Coverage, directly to the department in which you wish to film.