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Special Notice Regarding COVID-19 Court Closures

Updated: 9/1/2021

Although many courtrooms that were closed when COVID began have now reopened, some courts may still be physically closed and your appearance may or may not be required. Your public defender is working hard to help you and your family navigate this difficult time. PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NOTICE and click here to sign up for our newsletter to receive updates.

  • Some courtrooms are open for you to appear in person but many are physically closed to the public even though they are holding hearings. For those that are physically closed, you can appear over Bluejeans.com, a remote conferencing platform. Your public defender may also be able to appear for you without your appearance. To find out which applies to you, please contact your attorney (contact numbers below).
  • If your attorney appears for you, you may visit the Court’s website AFTER your scheduled appearance to find out your next court date.
  • If you are in drug or mental health court, or any other collaborative court (such as misdemeanor diversion, veterans court, or parole re-entry court), you must continue working with your service provider/case manager or fulfilling other conditions that apply to your case. Check the Court’s website for your new date per the above instructions.
  • If you are taking classes and appearing for progress reports, please keep any letters or notices you receive from providers about cancelled classes or any that are not held in person.
  • You can reach your attorney at these numbers:
    • If you have a misdemeanor Oakland/Berkeley/Albany/Emeryville or an Alameda County Sheriff’s Department case at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse: (510) 268-7400
    • If you have a felony Oakland/Berkeley/Albany/Emeryville or Alameda County Sherriff’s Department case at the Wiley W. Manuel or Rene C. Davidson Courthouses: (510) 272-6600
    • If you have a felony or misdemeanor case out of Dublin/Pleasanton/Livermore/Hayward/San Leandro/San Lorenzo/Union City/Castro Valley or Fremont at the East County Hall of Justice: (925) 551-6863
    • If you have an Immigration case: (510) 268-7400
    • If you are unsure of where the case will be heard, please call our main office at (510) 272-6600.To find out if a loved one is in jail, please use the Alameda County Sheriff’s inmate locator.
  • To find out if a loved one is in jail, please use the Alameda County Sheriff's incarcerated person locator by clicking here.
  • If you have a loved one in custody and have questions about the status of their case, please call one of the numbers above and an attorney will help you. Please have the person’s full name, birthday and/or PFN (three letters/three numbers) on hand.
  • It’s very important your attorney knows how to reach you. Please provide updated phone numbers, addresses and emails as soon as possible.

Income

Make sure working clients know their rights! State disability insurance and unemployment insurance can help right now for those eligible who can’t work or hours have been reduced. Refer to this Covid-19 specific info from the EDD, this helpful chart to show who qualifies for what, and a great FAQ from Legal Aid at Work. They also have virtual clinics and phone helplines listed here.

All OUSD students and families and any Oakland residents under 18 can pick up free food at OUSD’s 12 pick up sites. Hayward Unified provides the same support here, Berkeley schools here, San Leandro Unified here, Fremont here. Clients, especially those who are unhoused or elderly, can call the Alameda County Food Bank’s emergency food helpline. Senior clients can also call a Meals on Wheels provider to sign up for food delivered daily--county providers here.

Eligible clients can still apply for food stamps, GA, CalWorks, and other benefits right now. Alameda county’s social services agency is encouraging phone and online applications--see here. SAR 7s and recertifications are not currently waived and need to be submitted by their due dates. Medi-Cal recipients should continue to submit their annual Medi-Cal renewal as it will be processed at a later date.GA application interviews, mental health assessments, and Social Worker meetings are being conducted over the phone. In-person appointments are available for those that do not have access to a phone or have barriers that prevent them from participating in a telephone appointment.

For updates on Social Services office openings and in person availability, please visit the COVID-19 section of the Social Services Website.

SB 91, which protects tenants from eviction due to nonpayment of rent, remains in effect until July 1, 2021. Tenants can still be evicted for reasons other than non-payment of rent. More information about eviction policies for Bay Area residents during the Covid-19 Pandemic can be found here. HUD also extended the eviction and foreclosure moratoriums for homeowners until June 30, 2021. Click here for more information. Additionally, PG&E has halted service disconnections until June 30, 2021. Information about PG&E and relief for utility bills is available here. For tenants who are behind on rent, there are options for rent relief.

Alameda County provides healthcare to low-income people who are not eligible for Medi-Cal (like undocumented people) through HealthPAC. Also, testing and treatment related to Covid-19 will not be considered in the USCIS public charge test--see here. Covid-19 resources for undocumented immigrants here. Aquí hay un enlace con recursos en español.

Hotline (510) 306-4835, open M -F 8:30-5pm and has Mam and Spanish speakers to assist with applying for benefits (including HealthPAC) over the phone and online. They are also able to refer clients to a staff clinician for an over the phone assessment of symptoms and can make referrals to Highland Hospital.

The city has resumed enforcement of parking violations, metered parking, time-limited parking, and residential parking permitting. Towing operations for expired registration or parking violations are also in full force. According to one sargeant, during the pandemic OPD suspended towing vehicles if people clearly lived in them. OPD will (ostensibly) keep this new policy & refrain from towing vehicles which are also shelter.

The county’s contracted phone referral services for mental health (ACCESS) and substance use are still running. Alameda County Crisis Support Services offers a 24/7 crisis line.

Alameda County Healthcare for the Homeless Covid-19 guidance includes a phone number to call if someone is unhoused with symptoms. The state has already leased 2 Oakland hotels for high-risk and confirmed coronavirus cases of homeless folks--we’re staying updated on this. The Berkeley Free Clinic's Street Medicine Team, East Oakland Collective, and other community orgs are working hard to deliver sanitation stations and food to encampments. The state of California’s rental assistance program can be found here, and applications are open to Oakland residents as of May 18th.

  • La Clínica de la Raza offers testing to La Clínica patients and community members. Here to make an appointment.
  • Native American Health Center, in partnership with Alameda County, offers free Covid-19 testing to the Fruitvale community at the parking lot located at 3050 International Blvd., Oakland, CA 94601. Testings on Mondays 10AM - 5PM, Tuesdays & Thursdays 9AM - 5PM, Fridays 10AM - 5PM, and Saturdays 10AM to 3:30PM. For appointments, go here or call (510) 535-4400.1160 x 338.
  • For more Alameda County Covid-19 testing sites, please visit https://covid-19.acgov.org/testing.page?#Community.

Book Your Covid-19 Vaccine Appointment!

  • La Clínica de la Raza is offering Covid-19 vaccines (Moderna & Pfizer) to 12 and older. Sign up here.
  • Native American Health Center has vaccine appointments available. To make an appointment call (510) 434-5360.
  • Fremont High School has appointments and drop-in available for persons ages 18 and older who live in the zip codes (94601, 94603, 94605, 94606, 94607, 94621, 94541, 94544, 94545, 94577, 94578, 94580). Hours of operation are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 8AM-4PM. To make an appointment call (510) 208-4829.
  • Oakland Coliseum has a new drive-through vaccination clinic. Eligible community members can call the state’s toll-free hotline at (833) 422-4255 or book an appointment here.

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

Visit the State's COVID-19 website for more information.

DISCLAIMER: This site is meant to provide information of a general nature which you should verify with an attorney before relying upon it. It does not provide legal advice and is not meant to establish an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice you should ALWAYS contact an attorney.