At least 2 weeks before the hearing, contact the attorney advisor for the Criminal Division at 202-879-1416. Be prepared to provide the inmate's name; DCDC# or PDID#; date of hearing; time of hearing; judge; courtroom telephone number; and an estimate of how long the hearing is expected to last. The attorney advisor will reach out to the prison to see if accommodations can be made for the inmate to participate in the hearing by telephone.

It's important to know that if you have an outstanding warrant, you may be subject to arrest at any time. To avoid arrest, you should surrender yourself. If you have an outstanding warrant, visit the Criminal Information Desk on the 4th floor of the Courthouse, in Room 4001. Staff will direct you to the appropriate courtroom.

You should be at the designated courtroom at 9:00 a.m. on the day of your court date unless otherwise noted on your Notice to Return, Judicial Summons or Citation to Appear.

You can't get your bond refund until your case is closed, a judge orders a refund, or the bond amount is reduced.

You can get the following from the office: case number for a specific person; the defense attorney’s name and contact number; charges filed in a case; next court date; payment information; defendant’s release or detention status; case status; case disposition.

For a criminal history check, you must go to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Records Division located at 300 Indiana Avenue, NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC There is a fee for a criminal history report. If the report is for someone other than yourself, you must have that person’s written consent.

Traffic case arraignments occur in the courtrooms listed on your citation. The location will also be displayed on the monitors in the courthouse lobby, or you can call the Criminal Information Center at 202-879-1373. All misdemeanor and felony arraignments occur in Courtroom C-10.

According to law, bench warrants do not expire and are outstanding until either executed or quashed (cancelled) by the judge. A warrant is executed when a law enforcement official has picked up the defendant and brought him before the court. A bench warrant is quashed when a judge issues an order.

An attorney can request that an inmate receive a haircut/shave before a court appearance by submitting a request via fax, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m. The request must include the inmate’s name and DCDC number, and must allow adequate time to comply with the request. For inmates at the jail, the fax number is 202-699-4877. For inmates at CTF, the fax number is 202-698-3301.