About the author →
The Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center sits at 8141 13th Street in Westminster, and it hears criminal and traffic cases for Westminster, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Stanton, Los Alamitos, and Seal Beach. Its criminal and traffic divisions are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. After a DUI arrest in west Orange County, you may have a court date here and a separate DMV license case running at the same time. This page explains how to park and get inside, what a morning in court involves, and how the DMV and DUI program pieces fit around it. For the DMV, you have 10 days to ask for a hearing.
West Justice Center — court & DMV details
Why your case is here
The West Justice Center at 8141 13th Street in Westminster is the designated criminal and traffic court for western Orange County. A DUI arrest in Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, or the nearby cities is generally heard here. The CHP Westminster Area office, on Goldenwest Street, is one of the agencies whose DUI arrests are filed at this courthouse.
Parking across from the courthouse on 13th Street
The court's facility page says free parking is available across the street from the courthouse on 13th Street next to the public library, and at the corner of 13th Street and All American Way. Accessible spaces are in the main lot on 13th Street, and in lots near 15th Street and Jackson, and they require a DMV-issued placard.
At the entrance, the court runs full security. All visitors pass through a weapons screening device, and carried items are x-rayed. Knives, scissors, corkscrews, mace, and pepper spray are prohibited. Inside, food and drinks are not allowed, though the court notes vending machines and nearby fast-food places. The building has at least two floors, and a security desk on the first floor can point you the right way.
A 2019 court guide to OCTA service listed Routes 29, 529, and 560 for this courthouse, with stops on streets such as Goldenwest, Magnolia, and Hazard. Verify against OCTA's current trip planner.
A morning in the Westminster courtroom
Criminal appearances are generally scheduled for 8:30 a.m. according to the court, and you should be checked in with the courtroom by then. Find your department and hearing time on the posted calendar. If your case is missing, the court says to check in with the Criminal Division Clerk's Office. Ask for an interpreter at the clerk's office or in the courtroom on the hearing date.
Dress and behavior matter in a small way: shirt and shoes are required, and phones and laptops must be silenced or off. The court warns that failing to appear may result in a warrant, so call your attorney or the court if you run into trouble getting there.
The DMV case and DUI school alongside your court dates
The DMV says a hearing request must be made within 10 days of receiving notice of the action against your license. Hearings are recorded and are held by Teams video, by phone, or in person, and the DMV expects you to connect using the details on your notice. The DMV's Driver Safety Office page currently lists the (833) 543-7703 number and an online system for hearing requests and uploads.
If a court later orders a DUI program, the county Health Care Agency oversees licensed providers. Its 3-month list, revised June 2022, included locations in Westminster, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana. Always confirm on the county's current provider page.
The 10-day DMV deadline
A DUI in western Orange County means two fights at once: the criminal case at the West Justice Center and the DMV's separate case against your driving privilege. The DMV one runs on a 10-day fuse from the date of arrest. How the DMV hearing works →
How Ron defends a DUI at the West Justice Center
DUI cases at the West Justice Center are prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney's Office, according to the details above. Your first appearance is the arraignment. Pretrial hearings follow, and during that stretch Ron gathers the police reports, any video, and the breath or blood test records, then looks for problems with the stop, the officer's observations, the field sobriety tests, and how the sample was taken and analyzed. Depending on what he finds, the options can include negotiating, filing motions, or going to trial. He does not predict results, because every arrest is different.
The court says criminal appearances are generally in person unless a courtroom approves a remote appearance, and the way to ask is through the assigned clerk. The remote hearings the court offers for traffic matters, which use Department W7 at this location, are a separate traffic process. Ron works from his Irvine office, goes to Westminster for hearings, and handles your DMV hearing alongside the criminal case so one does not get lost while the other moves forward.
Where will my Huntington Beach or Garden Grove DUI be heard?
Is the West Justice Center the same as the Westminster courthouse?
Does the West Justice Center serve Huntington Beach and the coast?
When do I need to act to keep driving?
Cities that route here
← Back to Orange County DUI Defense
Ron defends DUI cases across Southern California from his Irvine office — and works directly with you, not a call center.
Learn more about Ron Chini →