Los Banos

Los Banos Branch Primary Objectives

The Los Banos branch of the Merced County District Attorney's Office handles most of the criminal prosecutions for crimes occurring on the west side of Merced County. This area includes the cities of Los Banos, Gustine, Dos Palos, and the rural areas west of the San Joaquin River. Criminal cases that are filed by attorneys in the Los Banos Office are handled primarily in courtrooms thirteen and fourteen of the Superior Court, Los Banos branch. All court hearings on these cases are held in Los Banos until the case is set for a jury trial. Jury trials are only conducted in Merced.

Certain cases that occur on the west side, such as child molestation cases, are handled by prosecutors who specialize in these types of cases, and all court hearings take place in Merced. 

Witnesses who are subpoenaed to appear on a west side case need to pay close attention to the court location identified on the front of their subpoena. This is the location where they will need to appear. 

At this time, all Victim Witness services are provided only in the Merced office of the District Attorney. However, new office facilities are being constructed for the Los Banos branch, and when completed, the office will expand its services to include Victim Witness.