| Q: Can I report a crime to the DAs office? |
| Q: Can I talk to Tony Rackauckas? I think hes the person who is working on my case? |
| Q: Can my identity be kept confidential if I want to assist law enforcement? |
| Q: Can parents be liable to pay for the damage caused by the criminal conduct of their minor? |
| Q: Can the courtroom be closed to the public if a victim requests it? |
| Q: Can the District Attorney's Office give me legal advice about my legal case? |
| Q: Do I have access to the DA file? |
| Q: Does this person have a criminal record? |
| Q: How can I begin receiving your press releases? |
| Q: How can I find out where someone is incarcerated? |
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| Q: Can I report a crime to the DAs office? |
| A: In most cases, crimes must be reported to the police department or law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the city or county where the crime occurred. For example, if the crime occurred in Santa Ana, it should be reported to the Santa Ana Police Department. If the crime was committed in any unincorporated area of Orange County, or in an area where the Orange County Sheriff is the contracting law enforcement agency (e.g., San Clemente), the crime should be reported to the Sheriffs Department. There are, however, certain exceptions. Specifically, crimes involving consumer fraud or the unlawful discharge of hazardous materials may be reported to the District Attorneys Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit. In addition, complaints involving misconduct by public officials or voting law violations may be reported in writing to the District Attorneys Special Projects Unit. Reports of misconduct on the part of law enforcement officers should be reported to the internal affairs or professional standards section of the law enforcement agency with which the officer is employed. |
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| Q: Can I talk to Tony Rackauckas? I think hes the person who is working on my case? |
| A: Mr. Rackauckas is the elected District Attorney of Orange County and, as such, his name appears on most court documents and office correspondence above the name of the prosecutor who prepared the document. Therefore, the person who is working on your case is most likely the person who actually signed the court document or DAs Office correspondence. Please contact the deputy district attorney who is handling the case or a Victim/Witness Advocate. |
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| Q: Can my identity be kept confidential if I want to assist law enforcement? |
| A: Yes. California law provides a privilege for law enforcement to keep the sources (identity of the person providing it) of confidential information from being disclosed. |
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| Q: Can parents be liable to pay for the damage caused by the criminal conduct of their minor? |
| A: Yes. The law provides that the parents of minors who commit crimes can be held responsible for the cost of restitution to the victims. |
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| Q: Can the courtroom be closed to the public if a victim requests it? |
| A: In general, the law requires that courtrooms remain open to the public. In a few unique types of cases, the courtroom may be closed at the prosecutors request with the permission of the judge. |
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| Q: Can the District Attorney's Office give me legal advice about my legal case? |
| A: No. We are prohibited from giving legal advice regarding a case you have or are thinking about pursuing. A private attorney can give you that kind of legal advice. The Orange County District Attorneys Office serves as the public prosecutor, bringing criminal charges and civil law suits where the interests of the public at large are involved. This office is not legally permitted to represent individuals in civil matters, take action in order to obtain money owed a consumer, help cancel any debt due on a contract that was signed, resolve or mediate individual consumer complaints, or obtain any other personal relief. It is generally a good idea to consult with private counsel to explore private legal remedies that might be available. In smaller matters of no more than $5,000, local small claims courts should also be considered. Action in these courts does not require the use of an attorney. |
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| Q: Do I have access to the DA file? |
| A: District Attorney files are confidential. You can look at a criminal file in Superior Court, which is public record. |
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| Q: Does this person have a criminal record? |
| A: The District Attorneys Office does not discuss a persons prior record unless it is part of a new felony complaint - for instance, in the case of a three strikes violation. |
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| Q: How can I begin receiving your press releases? |
A: Members of the press, please contact the Public Affairs Unit at (714) 347-8414.
Online, you can sign-up for our E-Notifier. You must click on the link sent to the email address you provide in order to complete registration and begin receiving information from our office via e-mail.
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| Q: How can I find out where someone is incarcerated? |
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A: If that individual is in a county jail, you can check the Orange County Sheriffs department website at https://www.ocsd.org. Click on e-services and Whos in Jail to search the Orange County Jail inmate list. To locate an inmate within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDC), please call (916) 445-6713, which is accessible 24 hours a day. You must have either the inmate's CDC number or the inmate's full name and date of birth to receive information. The Inmate Locator/ID Warrants will provide an inmate's location, mailing addresses and relevant phone numbers. The Inmate Locator/ID Warrants will not provide any future release date information. Please note that for new or transferring inmates it can take up to seven business days to update.
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