San Andreas Department of Justice
The Common Pleas Court
The State's First Line of Defense Court, handling routine civil and criminal matters throughout the State of San Andreas.
NOTICE ON EX PARTE COMMUNICATION
If you are a party to a matter before this Court, please take notice that you cannot communicate with the judge about your matter unless the other party is present. This is true for both civil and criminal matters. Violating this rule is called "ex parte communication" and will result in sanctions for the offending party. This rule applies to plaintiffs, defendants, prosecutors, and their attorneys.
Civil Proceedings
The Common Pleas Court manages and tries all matters with amounts in controversy less than $35,000.00, this Court is typically referred to as the Small Claims Court. This Court cannot hear matters against government agencies, or matters with civil rights implications; such cases must be heard in Superior Court.
Criminal Proceedings & Warrants
The Common Pleas Court has the authority, in the absence of the availability of a Superior Court Judge, to hear matters of probable cause and issue arrest warrants upon a finding of probable cause. Common Pleas acts as a surrogate of the Superior Court in such matters, but cannot hold criminal trials or make decisions that impact the liberty of a defendant, other than the aforementioned.