The treaty in 1847 to end the Mexican-American War included California, which made it one of the territories of the United States. In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, which made prospectors and settlers go all the way to California to seek their fortune. California became the 31st state to join the United States of America in 1850. Today, it is the United States’ third biggest, behind Alaska and Texas. The state is the nation’s leader in terms of agricultural production because of its vast farmlands composed of millions of acres. Iconic national parks and cultural places such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood, Angel Island, Disneyland, Alcatraz, and Yosemite National Park call this state home.

On February 18, 1850, California was divided into twenty-seven counties, which in 1860 were further divided into an additional sixteen sub-counties. The years between 1861 and 1893 saw a further sub-division to an additional fourteen counties. The Imperial County, which was created in 1907, was the last county to be formed. The most populous county in the United States is California’s Los Angeles County, while the largest county of the nation, San Bernardino County, belongs to this state as well.

The biggest court system in the United States is in California and serves about 12% of the total population of the nation. There are 58 trial or superior courts that are located in the 58 counties of the state, including court buildings numbering more than 500 scattered all over the state. These courts hold hearings of both criminal and civil cases including cases of traffic, family, juvenile, mental health, and probate.

The Courts of Appeal is the next judicial level in California, where reviews of decisions made by a superior court are being questioned or contested by involved parties in a case.

Offender Search Web Page

The purpose and specifics of the Offender Search Web Page in each state varies. Read the disclosures carefully. Updates to the database could be biweekly, monthly and daily depending on the states Corrections Department schedule. Some searches show offenders incarcerated in the entire prison system including county jails and some only state prisons. Sometimes historical offender data is available and sometimes only current inmate records are listed. Youth and adult offenders are sometimes located on separate search portals.

State Offender Search: http://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/

Jails

Court Clerk

Correctional Facility