Maricopa County Superior Court

The Criminal Department of the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County hears felony cases. Its own description runs from the initial appearance through sentencing and later post-conviction matters. If the charge is a city misdemeanor or a civil traffic ticket, this is the wrong building. Those cases belong in Phoenix Municipal Court or another city court, or in a justice court when the citation says so.

This page is general information for families and for the lawyers and reentry workers who get the 2 a.m. call. It is not legal advice. Questions about the charges, a plea, or whether to ask for a bond reduction belong with a criminal defense lawyer.

The downtown courthouse

Felony hearings after the first appearance are at the downtown complex, not at the jail.

The Central Court Building is 201 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003. The court’s information center phone is (602) 506-3204. The building is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Use the public entrance on the north side. An escalator connects to the South Court Tower. A plaza-level walkway connects the East Court and West Court buildings.

The South Court Tower, which the criminal department lists with the downtown criminal courts, is 175 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003.

Criminal Department information is a different number from the main information center: (602) 506-8575, email infodeskcorre@jbazmc.maricopa.gov. Use that desk when the criminal case search does not show the case.

The Law Library Resource Center, first floor of the East Court Building at 101 W. Jefferson Street, (602) 506-7353, is self-help. Staff do not represent the defendant.

The court does not validate parking. Paid options listed for the Central Court Building include CityScape, Luhrs City Center, and the City of Phoenix garage at 300 W. Jefferson Street, plus metered street parking and free public parking between 5th and 6th Avenues. Leave extra time. If you will be late, the criminal department says to contact the attorney. The information desk does not reset the hearing.

The first hearing is on a different clock

The public court calendar says initial appearance calendars are not included in the daily search. It also says those calendars are heard 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at 2:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m.

Defendants generally see a judge for an initial appearance within 24 hours of booking. The court describes a bond as a financial promise that the person will come back. If the judge orders a bond, the person stays in custody until that bond is properly posted. The judge can also set non-money conditions, or order the person held. Missing a later hearing can lead the court to forfeit the bond.

Do not assume the first hearing is at 201 W. Jefferson, and do not drive to 4th Avenue Jail for it. The Superior Court location page says Intake, Transfer, and Release, at 2670 S. 28th Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85009, replaced the Central Intake processing center that was at the 4th Avenue Jail. That page says ITR is open 24 hours, has four courtrooms, processes bookings and every release from the county jail system, and moves people among the sheriff’s jails. The Sheriff’s Office locates Initial Appearance Court at that same address. County sessions are every day, including holidays, every three hours at the times above. City of Phoenix initial appearances there are at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The court’s night-court commissioners, who preside over initial appearance matters, are assigned to ITR. The 4th Avenue Jail guide is the bond window. The Watkins Jail guide separates housing at 2680 S. 28th Drive from ITR at 2670.

One address on that campus is easy to misuse. The justice courts directory lists an Inmate Video Appearance Center at 2670 S. 28th Drive and labels it not a public courthouse. Do not go there to file papers.

How to look up the case

Use the tools in this order.

1. If the person is in sheriff’s custody, start with the MCSO inmate information search. You can search by booking number, or by first name, last name, and date of birth. The record can show the facility, charges, holds, bond amounts, and the next court. MCSO says the listing should not be relied on for a legal action, may not be current or complete, and that identity is confirmed by fingerprint comparison. Our inmate search guide walks through the fields.
2. For the felony case itself, use the court’s criminal case search. It accepts last name and first name, initials plus date of birth, or a case number. The criminal department tells people who missed a hearing, and who do not know the lawyer, to start there. If the case is not in the search, call (602) 506-8575.
3. Day-of courtroom and time, after the case has a downtown hearing, are on the court calendar. Initial appearance calendars are excluded from that search.
4. The Arizona Judicial Branch public access case lookup includes Maricopa Superior Court criminal cases. The branch says the site is not the official record, may be incomplete, excludes local ordinance charges, and is updated weekly, each Friday, through the prior Wednesday. Superior court documents are on the separate eAccess portal.

Where the bond is posted

Read this before anyone drives to Jefferson Street with cash.

The Superior Court bond page says a criminal bond is posted in person only with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, at the Fourth Avenue Jail Bond and Fine Room, 201 S. 4th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003, northwest corner of the building. The court says bonds are never requested by phone, text, email, or social media, and cannot be paid by Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, wire, or any other electronic transfer. After the bond is paid, release processing may take up to 24 hours. If the person misses a hearing, the court may forfeit the bond.

The same page describes the scam: a caller claims to be the court or the police, demands immediate electronic payment, and pressures the family. The court says to hang up, send no money, and verify with (602) 506-8575 or with Sheriff’s Information Management Services at (602) 876-0322.

A surety bond is a different transaction from a family member handing the full bail amount to that window. A licensed bail agent posts the bond with the court. The Bail Barn quotes a premium of 10% of the bail amount, with a $150 minimum. That estimate is the premium only. Additional fees may apply. Call (623) 428-2276 for the exact total. The premium is not the full bail amount, and it is not a payment you wire to a stranger.

Release from sheriff’s custody is processed at ITR, 2670 S. 28th Drive, not at the courthouse and not at the housing jail named on the lookup. Screenshot the inmate record first: facility, booking number, bond, next court, and any hold. A hold can keep someone in custody after the bond is posted. If a later hearing cannot be attended, the criminal department says the attorney files the motion. A voicemail to the information center does not reset it.

Housing addresses for each jail are on the jails and courts hub. Families call from Phoenix and the rest of the service area because an arrest in another city can still produce a felony case downtown.