Frequently Asked Questions

In almost all cases crimes should be reported to the police or sheriff's department which has responsibility for the location where the crime occurred. Check out our Law Enforcement Directory for a list of numbers. That department will investigate and send the reports of their investigation to the DA if it appears that there is evidence that a crime has been committed.

Crimes involving welfare fraud can be reported to the District Attorney's IMPACT Unit and crimes involving consumer fraud or environmental violations can be reported to the District Attorney's Special Operations Unit.

Crimes involving governmental officials can be reported to the District Attorney Public Integrity Unit. However, complaints about law enforcement officers should be directed to the internal affairs unit of the agency that employs the officer.

If criminal charges were filed against a defendant because of a crime against you, you can call the District Attorney's office at (209) 468-2400 to determine what is happening in court, or you can look up case information on the Superior Court's website.

Before calling the District Attorney's office, you should check with the police agency that investigated the crime to obtain the name of the suspect and the police report number. Records in the District Attorney's office are not indexed under the name of the victim. If you have the suspect's name or the crime report number we can locate the information that you need.

If you need more information than just the date of the next court appearance, you should call the District Attorney's Victim‑Witness office at (209) 468-2500 or ask to speak to the Deputy District Attorney assigned to the case.

We cannot respond to legal questions per the California Business and Professions Code section 6131. We are also unable to refer you to a lawyer in your area to help you. Also, under Rule 2-100 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct, ethically we are unable to communicate directly or indirectly with you regarding your criminal case if you are represented by an attorney unless we have your attorney's consent. If you have an attorney, have him or her contact our office.

For advice or representation, you can contact your attorney or the Lawyer Referral Service of the San Joaquin County Bar Association at (209) 948‑4620 if you wish a referral to an attorney handling your type of problem.

People who are subpoenaed as witnesses may have seen or heard things that occurred before, during, or after a crime has occurred or may have seen only part of the events surrounding a crime. Your testimony when added to the testimony of other witnesses may be important to explain how or why a crime occurred or may be a link between the crime and the suspect.

If your subpoena was issued by the District Attorney's office you can go to our Subpoena Help page on this website, or you may call the Witness Coordination Office at (209) 468-2400, and ask to speak to the Deputy DA assigned to the case. . The Witness Coordination staff will obtain some identifying information from you when you call and will keep in touch with you to let you know if the subpoena is canceled or if the day or time of your appearance needs to be changed.

It is always a good idea to call the Witness Coordination office the day before you are scheduled to appear in court in case there has been a change in the date or time that you are needed for testimony.

A subpoena is an order issued under the authority of the Superior Court. Failure to obey a subpoena can be punished as contempt of court. If you have concerns about appearing as a witness you should call the Witness Coordination Office at (209) 468-2400 and ask to speak to the Deputy DA handling the case.

Mr. Freitas is the elected District Attorney of San Joaquin County. Because he is the head of the office his name appears on letters and documents sent out by the District Attorney's office. The name of the Deputy District Attorney handling your case is usually found underneath Mr. Freitas' name or you can call the number listed on your subpoena for more information.

In California, criminal cases are filed by the District Attorney on behalf of the People of the State of California. All decisions about what cases to file and whether to continue or dismiss criminal cases are made by the District Attorney not by crime victims. If you have concerns about the case, you should call and talk to the Deputy District Attorney handling the case.

As a result of a change in state law, the establishing and enforcing of child support obligations is no longer a function of the District Attorney's Office. The Department of Child Support Services is the county agency now responsible for enforcing child support orders. The Department of Child Support Services has its web page at: https://www.sjgov.org/department/dcss/home