Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026.
Santa Monica, California, in Los Angeles County, has about 91,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, and the file of each case, kept by the Superior Court clerk, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Santa Monica public records, Los Angeles County court records, Santa Monica arrest records, Santa Monica warrants, Santa Monica inmate search, Santa Monica criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Santa Monica
Court cases from Santa Monica are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Divorces go to the Superior Court's family law division, and the file stays with the Superior Court clerk.
The Superior Court clerk keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the California Public Records Act.
Looking Up a Case from Santa Monica
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at lacourt.ca.gov/pages/lp/access-a-case/tp/re-acc-search-for-case-by-... (page title: Superior Court of Los Angeles County), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
California has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The California court page SearchSystems verified is at courts.ca.gov/policy-administration/public-records/who-where-how-vi....
What Reaches the Court from Santa Monica
Together, the 47 agencies in Los Angeles County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 111,326 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at da.lacounty.gov (page title: Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Santa Monica guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Santa Monica criminal records, Santa Monica divorce records, Santa Monica traffic tickets, Santa Monica DUI and Santa Monica property records.
More Official Court Pages for Los Angeles County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Los Angeles County and California. These court pages from its Los Angeles County listing were opened again on October 4, 2026 and each one still answers:
- California Courts (courts.ca.gov)
- LACourtConnect (lacourt.ca.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Santa Monica?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at lacourt.ca.gov.
Which court hears felonies in Santa Monica?
The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Santa Monica?
The Superior Court clerk. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in California?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Santa Monica website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.