The Long Beach Courthouse is located at 415 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802. The Long Beach Court is one of the oldest and most run down buildings in the Los Angeles Superior Court System. The State of California is in the process of fixing this problem by building a new courthouse directly north of the current location with an expected completion date of 2012. The Long Beach courthouse handles traffic tickets, DUI cases, civil matters, andcriminal law issues. This is a high volume courthouse and like all things run by the government, it’s going to take you hours if you need to go there. To avoid the hassle associated with a trip to this courthouse, you may want to consider hiring a Los Angeles Attorney to appear on your behalf
Located near the Southern tip of the 710 freeway south of downtown Los Angeles, the Long Beach Court serves the greater Long Beach area. Traffic getting in and out of downtown Long Beach is almost always terrible. It really doesn’t matter what time you are going, you can count on it taking you a while to get there. The 710 provides the most direct route, but if you are coming from the South you can also exit from the 405 or take the 22 till it ends. Once you arrive to the Long BeachCourthouse your next challenge is parking. There is a lot right next to the court that charges in excess of $10 a day for parking. Parking in the area is more difficult than ever due to the ongoing construction for the new courthouse. In years past, the vacant lot where the courthouse is currently being built was the best option for cheap parking. You had to park in the dirt, but it was close and cheap, or sometimes even free. That’s over now so be prepared to pay to park.
Once you find a place to park the next challenge is getting into the building. Security is tight so you are looking at a long line to get through a metal detector. Be prepared to remove everything from your pockets and remove your belt. Prohibited items include lighters, cameras, and anything that could be perceived as a weapon. It seems like people would be prepared for this in 2012, but for somehow people end up going through the metal detector to the Long Beach Courthouse with illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, weapons, and other illegal items. These people are literally walking themselves into custody.
The final battle is locating the right line for your needs whether it’s the traffic clerk’s window, GC Services, the criminal clerk, the health office for DUI program referrals, one of the courtrooms or any of the numerous clerk’s offices hidden throughout the courthouse. If you are looking for the traffic clerk, head for the 2nd floor and look for the long line of angry people. Before you go, you may want to consider reading this blog post from a California lawyer who practices in the Long Beach Traffic Court on a regular basis.