Criminal Court Cases in Butte County
California routes felony and misdemeanor prosecutions in Butte County to the Superior Court Criminal Division. Its main criminal counter is at One Court Street in Oroville. The clerk keeps the filed case, register of actions, hearing record, disposition, and sentencing entries. Traffic and infraction matters can appear in related court calendars, but they remain court records rather than sheriff files.
The North Butte County Courthouse in Chico is a public court site with terminal access, yet the court names Oroville as the Criminal Division location. The county Clerk-Recorder is not the custodian of criminal case files. That distinction saves a trip to the wrong office.
The official Criminal Division page shows the office readers should use for criminal matters.
The captured page anchors a Butte County case search to the court that holds the original record.
Butte County Criminal Records Counter
The Criminal Division counter is the fallback when a docket is old, a public document cannot be viewed online, or a certified copy is needed. Call 530-532-7011 or direct the request to One Court Street, Oroville, CA 95965. Give the case number when possible. A party name and a narrow date range help when the number is unknown.
Superior Court Criminal Division
One Court Street
Oroville, CA 95965
530-532-7011
Criminal filings, case status, public copies, and certified court records.
A court copy proves what was filed or ordered. It does not replace the California Department of Justice record-review process for a person's own statewide summary.
Butte County Case Record Searches
Start at the court's Case Information page. It links to the free Tyler portal. No account is required for public cases, and the data is live except during maintenance. Case number is the cleanest key. A name search works when the number is not known, but the result does not display date of birth.
- Open the official Case Information page and choose Case Search.
- Use Smart Search with the case number, or enter the party name.
- Narrow the results to criminal or traffic records when filters appear.
- Read charges, hearings, status, and the register of actions in order.
- Ask the Criminal Division for any public document unavailable online.
| Field | Type | Required | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case number | Text | No | Best exact-match key |
| Party name | Text | No | Use when the number is unknown |
| Case type | Filter | No | Narrows criminal or traffic results |
| Filing year | Filter | No | Separates similar names |
| Date of birth | Not displayed | No | Restricted from the public result |
Butte County Online Court Limits
A live index is not the whole courthouse file. California Rule of Court 2.503 permits some public documents to be viewed at courthouse computers but not across the internet. Rule 2.507 also limits personal data in remote calendars, indexes, and registers of actions. Butte County specifically says date of birth is not shown.
The Rule 2.503 access page illustrates the line between remote and courthouse access.
That rule explains why a case may be listed online while its complaint, minute order, or sentencing document must be viewed at court.
The companion Rule 2.507 page addresses remote calendars and case indexes.
The image supports the court's warning that public search results omit birth dates and other restricted data.
What a Criminal Case File Contains
A Butte County case file follows the prosecution, not merely the first arrest. Read the register from oldest to newest. An arrest charge can change when the prosecutor files the complaint, and separate counts can end in different outcomes.
| Case number and court | Identifies the local file and court location. |
|---|---|
| Charging document | Lists filed counts in a complaint, information, or indictment. |
| Register of actions | Orders hearings, filings, pleas, warrant entries, and rulings by date. |
| Hearing dates | Shows scheduled and completed court events. |
| Disposition | Records conviction, acquittal, dismissal, or another outcome by count. |
| Sentence | States custody, probation, fines, restitution, and other court terms when imposed. |
For the broader difference between a booking and a filed prosecution, the county arrest search explains the agency and jail side of the record.
Read Butte County Docket Entries
The register of actions is a dated list of court events. An arraignment is the first formal appearance on filed charges. A plea is the defendant's answer. Disposition is the outcome of a count, while sentencing states the punishment or supervision ordered after a conviction. A bench warrant entry often follows a missed court date, but its current status must be checked with the court.
- Complaint
- The document that starts many prosecutions.
- Information
- A prosecutor-filed charging paper after a preliminary hearing or waiver.
- Dismissal
- An end to a charge without a conviction on that count.
- Register of actions
- The chronological event list for the case.
Do not treat a scheduled hearing as a final result. Look for a later judgment, dismissal, plea, or sentencing entry.
Criminal Case Stages in Butte County
A criminal case begins only when charges are filed. The case then moves through arraignment and pretrial work. Some cases end in a plea. Others proceed to trial. The court records the outcome by count and adds a sentence if guilt is found.
Case flow: Charges Filed › Arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or Trial › Disposition › Sentencing
Butte County calendars also include Mental Health Diversion, Military Diversion, Veterans Court, Felony Special Sets, and HIDE. Those paths can add program reviews or special hearings to the ordinary sequence.
Butte County Specialty Case Calendars
Local calendar labels matter because two cases with similar charges may move through different tracks. Diversion can pause the usual route while a person completes court-set terms. Veterans Court and the named mental health or military diversion calendars reflect specialized review. Felony Special Sets and HIDE identify other local settings that may appear in the register.
The court's Grand Jury page describes Butte County's annual 19-member grand jury and its criminal indictment power.
The grand jury material shows one route by which a charging document can enter a local criminal case file.
Butte County Court Copy Requests
Use the court's copy request form when the portal gives enough detail to identify the file but not the document. Specify the case number, case name, and exact item, such as a complaint, minute order, register, disposition, or sentencing order. The form says copies cost $0.50 per page, an extensive name search costs $15, and most certifications cost $40. The court advises getting the page count before sending payment and says processing may take about one week.
The court also provides criminal eFiling information for filed transactions.
The eFiling page helps distinguish submitting a court filing from ordering an existing public record.
Access Rules for Case Records
Non-confidential, non-sealed adult case indexes and registers are generally searchable. Juvenile matters, sealed files, protected victim data, medical or mental health information, and sensitive identifiers can be hidden or redacted. The California Public Records Act governs agency records, but court access also depends on Judicial Branch rules. California Penal Code 11105 separately restricts state criminal-history summary dissemination.
Remote absence does not prove that no Butte County record exists. Ask the Criminal Division about courthouse access, older coverage, or a copy request.
Historical coverage is another limit. The portal includes Superior Court cases from 1988 onward, former North County Municipal Court material from late 1985 onward, and former South County Municipal Court records from 1989 onward. Older searches may require clerk help. Sealed or confidential cases will not be restored to public view merely because a name is supplied.