Logo Logo
  HOMEPAGE  > 

Media Information

Welcome to the Southern District of California’s media information page. Media representatives should understand that the judge presiding in a case is completely responsible for the courtroom and expects the media to comply with the rules specified for that trial.

Accordingly, the judge may issue specific information and/or procedures concerning a specific matter. Information is provided below on courthouse locations and other helpful information for the media.


Select media topic:

  • Courthouse locations

    The Southern District of California is comprised of two counties, San Diego and Imperial, with a courthouse in each. The Pacific Ocean borders the district on the west, and shares the international border with Mexico on the south.  There are courthouses located in downtown San Diego and the other in El Centro, Imperial County.

  • Local Rules

    Civil Local Rule 83.7 has information on rules regarding media and publicity of cases. All forms, means and manner of taking photographs, tape recordings, videotaping, broadcasting, or televising are prohibited in the United States Courthouses during the course of, or in connection with judicial proceedings, whether court is in session or not. Please review the Local Rules for more information.

  • Clerk’s Office

    The Clerk’s Office public reception lobby is located on the 4th floor of the Carter/Keep Courthouse located at 333 W. Broadway, San Diego, California. Regular business hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The telephone number is 619-557-5600.

  • Media Communications with the Court

    The media can call 619-557-5600 with questions regarding specific case information and the caller will be directed to the appropriate deputy clerk for review. Other media questions can be sent to media_info@casd.uscourts.gov.

  • CM/ECF Media Access

    The case docket for this district is available through the Court’s Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system. Case documents are submitted by attorneys and parties for filing electronically or through hard copies at the public intake window.

    Members of the media can monitor particular civil and criminal non-sealed cases by signing up to receive automatic e-mail notifications of electronic filings (NEFs) made in specific civil and criminal non-sealed cases which they designate. Each NEF includes a hyperlink to the non-sealed, electronically filed document in the case. Media members who register for this service can add or remove specific civil and criminal non-sealed cases to their account at any time. For instructions on how to do this, see Instructions for Media .

    To register for this service, a completed Media Access Application must be e-mailed to ECFhelp@casd.uscourts.gov. A copy of the applicant's press credentials must be provided with the application. Applications received without proof of press credentials will not be processed.

    To view electronically filed documents, the media member must have a PACER account. (PACER, which stands for Public Access to Court Electronic Records, is the federal judiciary's electronic public access service that allows users to obtain case and docket information from federal courts via the Internet.) Information about PACER is available at pacer.uscourts.gov or by calling the PACER Service Center at 800-676-6856.

    (Effective March 02, 2020) After emailing your request and registering for a PACER account, submit an electronic application for registration to the Southern District of California through the PACER website at pacer.uscourts.gov and select Manage My Account > Maintenance > Non-Attorney E-file Registration. (Click Here for additional information - Include link to documentation: https://www.casd.uscourts.gov/_assets/pdf/cmecf/Media Account_NextGen CMECF.pdf )

    Registered media members are responsible for updating their individual e-mail address when it changes. If an NEF is returned undeliverable, the e-mail address will be removed from the account. Members may update their e-mail address at any time to reactivate the account.

    For questions concerning this service, please e-mail ECFhelp@casd.uscourts.gov.

  • Court Records

    The electronic records of pending civil and criminal non-sealed cases may be viewed, at no charge, at public terminals on the 4th floor of the Carter/Keep Courthouse in the Clerk’s Office public lobby.

    The Judicial Conference of the United States mandates fees for copies, certifications and exemplifications. The clerk’s office in San Diego can help with requests for copies of available records.

  • Media Workrooms

    The Southern District of California does not have devoted media workrooms.

  • Courthouse Entry and Exit

    All persons entering the courthouses must show a government-issued photo identification and must pass through a security screening device. For more information, please refer to the Building Access and Security page.

  • Court Calendars

    Each judge’s calendar may vary. Please refer to the Calendars tab on the homepage or this Calendars link .

  • Transcripts

    Transcripts can be ordered by contacting the individual court recorder/reporter present for the applicable hearing and making financial arrangements. Review the appropriate day's minutes via PACER to determine the court reporter/recorder present. Transcript orders from magistrate case proceedings should be placed with the assigned judge's courtroom deputy. The case name, number, judge name, and date of hearing will be required to process the request. A list of staff and contract court recorder/reporter names and phone numbers is available on-line. The fee for transcripts is based on the per page rate (refer to General Order 70-H for detailed information).

  • Communications from the Court

    Currently, there is no information avaialble. Please revisit at a later time.