Sacramento County District Attorney
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes criminal cases and provides assistance to crime victims and witnesses. This article explains how to obtain case information, request notifications, respond to a subpoena, contact victim advocates, and reach specialized units that handle consumer complaints, child abduction, and other matters. It also explains which requests belong with law enforcement, the court, or another county department.
What the District Attorney Handles
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office handles felony and misdemeanor prosecutions referred by law enforcement agencies throughout the county. Its work includes reviewing and prosecuting criminal cases, supporting victims through the court process, investigating certain specialized complaints, and reviewing some matters after conviction.
Criminal complaints are prosecuted on behalf of the State of California. A victim’s wishes matter, but the prosecutor makes the decision to issue or dismiss charges. A victim who wants a prosecution to stop can communicate that preference to the prosecutor; the request does not itself dismiss the case.
The office has specialized prosecution units for domestic violence, elder abuse, human trafficking, sexual assault, child abuse, homicide, gang-related offenses, hate crimes, and other offenses. Its Felony Bureau handles felony cases that are not assigned to a specialized unit. Separate units handle misdemeanor court review and misdemeanor jury trials.
Police Reports and Prosecution Referrals
Reporting a crime and obtaining information about a filed prosecution are different tasks. For example, the District Attorney directs people reporting domestic violence to the law enforcement agency where the crime occurred. That agency investigates the incident. The District Attorney can provide a victim with the defendant’s name and next court date when law enforcement has submitted the case and charges have been filed.
Some specialized matters have their own District Attorney reporting channels, including consumer fraud and certain child abduction requests. Choose the reporting process that matches the concern rather than treating a case-information request or victim notification form as a general crime report. For an emergency, call 911.
Criminal Case Information and Court Dates
The District Attorney’s criminal case information page directs users to Sacramento Superior Court’s Public Case Access System. The court’s system is the official destination identified by the office for looking up criminal case information.
For adult suspects, the District Attorney’s notification page says court dates and events can be located through the court’s case index using the suspect’s name or court case number. Have one of those identifiers ready before beginning your search.
Keep the court case number separate from the law enforcement report number. The District Attorney’s forms provide separate fields for these identifiers because they refer to different records. A report number from an investigating agency should not be entered as though it were the court’s case number.
Victims can also contact the District Attorney’s Office about the defendant’s identity and next court date once the case has been submitted and charges have been filed. General inquiries may be sent to daoffice@sacda.org. If your question concerns an existing subpoena, contact the deputy district attorney named on that document instead.
Court Events Versus Jail Release
A court calendar inquiry and a jail-release inquiry use different systems. The District Attorney directs questions about release from the Sacramento County jail to the Sheriff’s Inmate Release Elective Notification System, known as SIRENS. Looking up a hearing or requesting District Attorney case updates is a separate task from seeking information about a person’s release from jail.
Before contacting an office, identify the event you need information about: an upcoming hearing, the outcome of a prosecution, or a jail release. That distinction helps you reach the responsible agency without confusing court proceedings with custody information.
Victim Notifications and Form Preparation
The office’s Victim Notification Form allows victims and requesters to ask for case updates. The page also describes Victims of Violence Alerts, or VIVA, for victims in Sacramento County cases involving domestic and family violence and other violent felony crimes. Enrollment is required to receive that service’s notifications.
Gather the information requested by the form before completing it:
The court case number, if known, and the law enforcement report number.
The address where the crime occurred and the date of the crime.
The victim’s or requester’s name, mailing address, email address, and telephone information.
The defendant’s first and last name, adult or juvenile status, and XREF identifier if known.
The next court date, if known, and whether the crime is a misdemeanor or felony.
A brief explanation of the request or comments.
The form asks separately whether you want notification of the final outcome and whether you want notification of all court hearings. It also asks whether you request that your name and address be kept from the defendant’s attorney. Review each question individually so the submission reflects the notifications and privacy request you intend to make.
The court case number and defendant XREF fields are marked “if known.” Keep those identifiers distinct, and do not substitute one for another. The form is a request for notifications; it does not replace the specialized reporting procedures described elsewhere by the office.
Victim Advocacy and Court Support
The Victim Witness Assistance Program helps people dealing with the physical, emotional, and financial effects of crime. Advocates explain the criminal justice process, discuss victims’ rights, and provide support during a case.
Services include crisis intervention, court accompaniment, employer intervention, assistance with victim compensation applications, and help with restraining or no-contact orders. The program also provides support for family members of homicide victims. Assistance and information are available in several languages, and the program uses a translation service.
A victim who feels anxious about testifying can speak with an advocate about what to expect. Court accompaniment provides emotional support during hearings, while an explanation of court procedures can help a witness prepare for questioning.
Protective Orders in Filed Cases
When a criminal case has been presented and filed, the assigned prosecutor can ask the court for a criminal protective order. The Victim Witness Unit can discuss whether an order may be appropriate in a particular matter.
This process concerns protection within a criminal case. The office’s description ties the prosecutor’s request to a filed prosecution, so distinguish that request from making an initial crime report or asking for general case notifications.
Victims’ Rights During Proceedings
The program explains California victims’ rights under Marsy’s Law. These include respectful treatment, protection from intimidation, consideration of victim and family safety in release decisions, restitution, and the return of property when it is no longer needed as evidence.
Several rights involve a request from the victim, including notice of proceedings, an opportunity to confer with the prosecuting agency, and participation at specified hearings. Tell the advocate or prosecutor which notices or opportunities to participate you are seeking rather than assuming that every service begins automatically.
Subpoenas and Witness Responsibilities
A subpoena is a court order that must be obeyed. If you receive one from the District Attorney’s Office, contact the deputy district attorney identified on it for instructions. The named prosecutor is also the person to ask if you do not understand why your testimony is needed.
Witnesses are not limited to people who saw a crime happen. Someone may have information about evidence, events connected to the crime, or facts that contradict another witness’s account. A subpoena can therefore require testimony even when the recipient did not witness the incident itself.
If you cannot attend on the scheduled date, discuss the conflict with the named deputy district attorney before that date. The office warns that failing to appear without permission from the deputy district attorney can result in an arrest warrant. Do not treat a scheduling conflict as permission to disregard the order.
The office also explains that witnesses generally testify in the defendant’s presence and may be questioned by both the prosecutor and defense attorney. Witnesses generally do not receive payment for testifying or reimbursement for lost wages; the office distinguishes experts retained by the parties from ordinary witnesses.
Restitution, Compensation and Property Returns
Restitution Ordered by the Court
If a judge has ordered restitution but you have not received payment, the responsible contact depends on the defendant’s supervision status. For defendants on probation, restitution is usually paid through the Department of Revenue Recovery. If the defendant is on formal probation, the assigned probation officer is another contact.
The District Attorney also accepts restitution inquiries at restitution@sacda.org. A question about an existing restitution order should be distinguished from a request for victim compensation: restitution concerns payment by the defendant, while victim compensation is a separate program.
Victim Compensation Applications
The California Victim Compensation Program provides reimbursement for certain unreimbursed financial losses resulting from physical or emotional injury caused directly by a crime. The District Attorney’s victim advocates assist with applications.
The office identifies potential applicants as people injured by violent crime, people who depended on the victim for support, people who paid medical or burial expenses for a victim who died, and certain family members who need counseling because a relative was injured or murdered.
The program information states that an application must be filed within seven years of the crime, that the crime must be reported, and that the applicant must cooperate with law enforcement. It also states that the applicant’s actions must not have contributed to the crime. An advocate can assist with the application process; being within one of the described groups does not itself establish that a claim will be approved.
Property Held as Evidence
After a criminal case is resolved, the District Attorney sends a property release to the law enforcement agency that handled the case. Contact that agency directly about collecting the property. If the agency has no release on file, contact the District Attorney so the attorney who handled the case can review the request and prepare a release if appropriate.
In certain cases, the office must wait at least 60 days to see whether an appeal is filed. In many cases involving victims’ property, the property may be photographed and returned. The office does not authorize the release of firearms or other contraband to defendants after conviction.
Child Abduction and Custody Reports
The Child Abduction Unit addresses parental child abduction and certain custody-order enforcement matters. Its assistance request process is intended for Sacramento County residents who have a valid custody order granting primary physical custody and believe a noncustodial parent has abducted their child.
The request asks for your name, the other parent’s name, and a telephone number where you can be reached. The unit states that you will be contacted within two business days. That response period is not an emergency response service.
The office instructs parents reporting an abduction to file a police report and have certified copies of the most recent custody orders. It also directs them to ask law enforcement to enter the child into the National Crime Information Computer System, or NCIC.
Visitation Reports and Their Limits
The unit accepts reports of court-ordered visitation violations but does not investigate those reports. Their purpose is to document a violation for possible use in family court proceedings. Submitting a visitation report should therefore be distinguished from requesting assistance with an abduction.
The District Attorney cannot represent a parent in obtaining a custody order or provide legal guidance through the Child Abduction Unit. Its custody-enforcement role depends on existing orders and the circumstances described by the unit.
Good Cause Notification Requirements
The unit also accepts Good Cause Notifications under Penal Code section 278.7. Its published explanation addresses circumstances in which a person with custody rights, or a domestic violence victim, takes or keeps a child because of a good-faith, reasonable belief that the child would suffer immediate bodily injury or emotional harm if left with the other person.
The office describes three requirements: report the taking to the District Attorney in the county where the child previously resided as soon as possible and no later than 10 days; begin custody proceedings as soon as possible and no later than 30 days; and keep the District Attorney informed of address or telephone changes for the person and child.
The unit does not investigate Good Cause reports. Filing the notification alone does not fulfill all the requirements described by the office, and its guidance warns that failure to meet the requirements can result in child abduction charges.
Consumer Complaints and Specialized Reports
The Consumer and Environmental Protection Division includes separate consumer and environmental functions. The Consumer Unit receives and investigates complaints involving unfair, fraudulent, or dishonest business practices that harm consumers and honest businesses.
People who believe a contractor, tradesperson, shopkeeper, or another service provider has cheated them can contact the Consumer Unit or use the consumer fraud reporting option identified by the office. The Environmental Unit investigates and prosecutes violations involving hazardous waste and other pollutants affecting property, air, and waterways.
The office’s report submission directory separates consumer and environmental matters, insurance fraud, real estate fraud, welfare fraud, and child abduction forms. Select the category that describes the alleged conduct instead of submitting the same concern through an unrelated form.
Real Estate and Other Fraud
The Real Estate Fraud unit investigates and prosecutes complaints related to recorded real estate documents in Sacramento County. Its work includes alleged forgery, fictitious buyers and identity theft, home equity schemes, short sale schemes, loan modification fraud, and embezzlement.
Other units handle insurance fraud and public assistance fraud. Public assistance fraud allegations are investigated by the Department of Human Assistance, with cases referred for prosecution. The Workers’ Protection Unit addresses wage theft, labor-law violations, and worker safety.
For a business that received a non-sufficient-funds check, the District Attorney directs the report to the law enforcement agency where the crime occurred. The office states that it no longer investigates those checks.
Post-Conviction Review and Relief
The office’s post-conviction information separates marijuana conviction relief, Proposition 47 conviction relief, and post-conviction review. These are different processes with different purposes.
The marijuana relief information concerns certain convictions that may be reduced to misdemeanors or dismissed under Proposition 64. The Proposition 47 information concerns reductions of certain drug-possession and theft convictions. The Justice, Training and Integrity Unit separately reviews post-conviction requests for scientific testing and claims of wrongful conviction.
Choose the page that matches the request. A claim of wrongful conviction is different from seeking a reduction under a conviction-relief provision, and neither request belongs in the victim notification form.
District Attorney and Related Office Contacts
The District Attorney’s office contact directory identifies separate headquarters, Juvenile Center, and Crime Lab locations. Use the office or unit associated with your matter when contacting staff.
Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office — Headquarters
901 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
916-874-6218
Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office — Juvenile Center
9805 Goethe Road, Sacramento, CA 95827
916-875-6908
Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office — Crime Lab
4800 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95820
916-874-9240
Victim Witness Unit
916-874-5701
Child Abduction Unit
916-875-0096
Consumer Unit
916-874-6174
Real Estate Fraud
916-874-9045
Department of Revenue Recovery
916-875-7500
Probation Agency
916-875-0300
Sheriff’s Inmate Release Elective Notification System
916-874-6752