Overview
The preliminary hearing team conducts the preliminary hearing on all felonies in Contra Costa County that are not assigned to special units such as the Sexual Assault, Gangs or Homicide. This would include:
- Vehicular manslaughter
- Attempted murder
- Carjacking
- Robbery
- Residential burglary
- Felony assault
- Auto theft
- Felony theft
- Drug sale
- Possession for sale of drugs
- Simple possession of drugs
The preliminary hearing team is an extremely busy unit handling and appearing in every courthouse in the County every day that court is in operation. Despite increasing caseloads and dwindling resources, the felony preliminary hearing team continues to provide a service to the citizens of Contra Costa County, assuring as much as they are able that violent criminals will be kept off the street, and that the wheels of justice will continue to turn efficiently.
Hearings and Trials
The felony trial team is responsible for conducting preliminary hearings. The team handles all preliminary hearings in felony cases for the Central-Eastern area and Richmond
Other Matters
In addition to preliminary hearings, the team also other procedural matters in the branch courts. This would include:
- Pleas
- Sentencing
- Probation revocation
- Motions
- Settings