Alpine County covers the high country just south of Lake Tahoe: Kirkwood, Bear Valley, Markleeville, Woodfords, Hope Valley, and Carson Pass, along Highways 88 and 89. The county has no incorporated cities, so the Sheriff’s Office handles law enforcement everywhere in it, and the one courthouse is in Markleeville.
I’m Theodore FitzGerald, a criminal defense lawyer licensed in California and Nevada, with an office in Stateline. I work from one rule: the government has to follow the law at every step, in Markleeville as anywhere else.
Where the court is and what it hears
The Alpine County Superior Court is at 14777 State Route 89, Markleeville, CA 96120 (mail: P.O. Box 518). It hears criminal, traffic, and civil matters for the whole county. The court’s traffic division handles infractions; “misdemeanor or felony violations of the Vehicle Code (such as DUIs) are handled by the Criminal Division.” The court also hears all Fish and Game Code violations, from infractions to felonies, on the criminal calendar.
Criminal defendants “are scheduled to appear on calendar Mondays at 1:30 P.M.” When a Monday is a holiday, the calendar moves to Tuesday, and no matters are set during the first week of a jury trial.
There are no jail facilities in Alpine County.
Can I appear remotely?
The court holds some proceedings by Zoom. In a criminal case, the request has to be made on the court’s form ALP-CR-002, Request for Remote Appearance. Under the court’s local rule:
- Misdemeanors: a defendant or the defendant’s attorney may appear remotely in non-evidentiary proceedings.
- Felonies: the defendant and attorney have to appear in person at arraignment, at sentencing, and at every evidentiary proceeding.
If you are approved and haven’t received a Zoom invitation, the court asks you to contact the clerk’s office no later than the Friday before the hearing. The invitation includes a call-in number for anyone who can’t connect by video.
When a remote appearance is approved, treat it like a courtroom. Use a quiet room, a working camera and microphone, and dress as you would for court. Judges notice, and a clean remote appearance makes the next request easier to grant.
Address and contact
Alpine County Superior Court 14777 State Route 89, Markleeville, CA 96120 (mail: P.O. Box 518) Phone: (530) 694-2113 · Fax: (530) 694-2119 Clerk’s counter and phones: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Court website: alpine.courts.ca.gov
Working with FitzGerald Law in Alpine County
Markleeville is a small court with a fixed weekly calendar, so a case there is planned around Mondays. My office files the remote-appearance request on a misdemeanor where the rule allows it, tells you in advance which dates require you in person, and handles the paperwork the court requires.
The date on your paperwork is already set. Hire me now, and I’ll get to work on everything that comes before it. Call FitzGerald Law.