San Francisco Criminal Defense Attorney: The Fox Plaza Office

This page covers the office and how to reach it, the San Francisco courthouses, the court's reported felony workload, and the stages a felony case passes through in this county. It closes with a path for attorneys who refer or consult.

The office at Fox Plaza

Office: 1390 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco. Appointments by arrangement.

To arrange an appointment, call 415-963-1152 or email marc@peltalaw.com. Email is for scheduling only. The facts of a case are discussed by phone or in person after a conflict check, never by email.

Getting there

By BART or Muni Metro, use the Civic Center / UN Plaza station at 1150 Market Street.

The Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street is under a mile from the office.

San Francisco courthouses

San Francisco Superior Court hears most criminal cases at the Hall of Justice. The court's own website notes that some criminal matters are heard at its other locations. Two other court locations appear below with the roles the court itself publishes for them.

This page states no department numbers, because room assignments change and the court's paperwork governs.

Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. The court's location page lists civil, family, traffic and self-help services here. Whether a criminal matter is assigned to this building is a question for the court's website and the paperwork for a particular hearing.

Community Justice Center, 575 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. The court lists a courtroom at this address under its collaborative courts. The center's social service office is at 555 Polk Street, a separate address.

For the courtroom and time of a specific hearing, the court's own website and the release or arraignment paperwork are the current sources.

Felony filings in San Francisco

San Francisco Superior Court reported 3,393 felony filings in fiscal year 2024-25. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Table 7a (fiscal year 2024-25). The statewide figure in the same table is 194,346.

These figures describe the court's reported workload. They say nothing about any law firm's caseload, and Pelta Law does not present them that way.

How a felony case moves in San Francisco

What follows is general information about California felony procedure as it operates in San Francisco Superior Court. It is not legal advice. Every case differs in ways that change the timeline, and the court's orders in a particular case control.

Arrest and booking. After a felony arrest, the person is booked into county jail, which the San Francisco Sheriff's Office operates. Some people are released with a date to appear. Others stay in custody until the first court appearance.

The District Attorney then reviews the reports and decides what to file, if anything.

The charging decision. Many California offenses can be filed as a felony or misdemeanor. The prosecutor chooses first, and the court can later reduce an eligible offense. Before charges are filed, defense counsel may contact the prosecutor about the charging decision; whether that changes anything depends on the facts.

Arraignment. A person held in custody must generally be brought before a judge within 48 hours of arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays. At arraignment the complaint is read, a plea is entered, counsel is confirmed, and release is addressed.

Release. California courts must consider a person's ability to pay before setting money bail, and less restrictive conditions come first. Release is decided at the first appearance and can be revisited as the case develops.

Preliminary hearing. The prosecution must show probable cause before a judge at a preliminary hearing. It is set within ten court days of arraignment or plea, whichever is later, unless time is waived or good cause is found. Many defendants waive time so the defense can prepare.

For a person held in custody, the complaint must be dismissed if the hearing slips past ten court days without a personal waiver or a finding of good cause. In every case the hearing must be held within 60 days unless the defendant personally waives that limit.

Information and second arraignment. If the judge holds the defendant to answer, the District Attorney files an information within 15 days. A second arraignment follows, and the trial clock begins: 60 days, unless the defendant waives time, requests or consents to a later date, or the court finds good cause.

Motions. Before trial the defense may move to set aside the information under Penal Code 995 or to suppress evidence under Penal Code 1538.5. Discovery obligations run in both directions.

The defense may also ask the court to strike a prior strike conviction in the furtherance of justice under Penal Code 1385, a request known as a Romero motion.

Resolution or trial. A felony case ends by dismissal, a negotiated disposition, or a verdict after a jury or bench trial. If a conviction results, sentencing follows. A felony sentence may be probation, county jail or state prison, depending on the offense and the person's record.

What a former prosecutor brings to a San Francisco case

How that background shapes the work is set out on Why a Former Prosecutor. The felony practice itself is described at Felony and Violent Crimes Defense.

For referring attorneys

Attorneys in San Francisco and elsewhere in the Bay Area who need to refer a felony, obtain a second opinion, arrange trial consulting or bring in co-counsel have a separate path at For Attorneys.

Conflict referrals from San Francisco practitioners are handled the same way.

The rest of the Bay Area

From the San Francisco office, Pelta Law takes felony matters in all nine Bay Area counties: San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Marin, Solano, Napa and Sonoma. For contact details and what to have ready when calling, see Contact.

This website is an advertisement for legal services. Marc Pelta, Pelta Law, San Francisco.