Facing hit and run in San Mateo County? Here is where your case is heard, the county’s diversion options, and how these cases get defended.
The law is statewide; the courts, the DA, and the diversion programs are local.
The Charge
Misdemeanor hit and run (VC 20002) is the failure to stop and exchange information after damaging property — it is the leaving, not the accident, that is the crime.
Where Your San Mateo County Case Is Heard
San Mateo County misdemeanor cases are heard at the Hall of Justice, 400 County Center in Redwood City, and at the Northern Branch, 1050 Mission Road in South San Francisco. The exact department and date appear on your citation or arraignment notice.
Cases are prosecuted by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office (District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe), at 500 County Center in Redwood City, and custody, when it occurs, is at Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City. For the county overview, see our San Mateo County criminal defense page.
San Mateo County Diversion & Collaborative Courts
San Mateo County runs a strong set of collaborative courts that can end a case in treatment and dismissal rather than a conviction:
- a Drug Court for substance-driven cases
- Military Diversion — a pre-plea track for active-duty service members and veterans, operating in San Mateo County since 2016
- a Veterans Treatment Court
- the Pathways Program, the county’s mental-health treatment court, running since 2006
Civil compromise (PC 1377/1378) is not available for hit and run under VC 20002 — in People v. Dimacali (2019) 32 Cal.App.5th 822, the court held the offense is the flight, not the property damage, so the victim is not injured by the criminal act. A property-damage hit and run is, however, eligible for judicial diversion (PC 1001.95), available in San Mateo County.
How These Cases Get Defended
- That you did not know you caused damage — knowledge is required.
- That you were not the driver, or did stop and identify yourself.
- Judicial diversion (PC 1001.95) — not civil compromise, which does not apply to VC 20002 — can end the case without a conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which courthouse handles hit and run cases in San Mateo County?
San Mateo County misdemeanor cases are heard at its criminal courthouses — the Hall of Justice in Redwood City and the Northern Branch in South San Francisco. The exact department and date are on your notice.
Can a hit-and-run charge be dismissed in San Mateo County?
Sometimes, but not through civil compromise. Civil compromise (PC 1377/1378) is not available for hit and run under VC 20002 — in People v. Dimacali (2019) 32 Cal.App.5th 822, the court held the offense is the flight, not the property damage, so the victim is not injured by the criminal act. Hit and run is, however, eligible for judicial diversion under PC 1001.95 in San Mateo County.
Who prosecutes criminal cases in San Mateo County?
Criminal cases in San Mateo County are prosecuted by the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office, led by District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
GuidesComplete Guide to California Misdemeanors · Glossary · Penalties Reference.
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I defend hit and run cases across San Mateo County on a flat fee. Tell me what happened and I'll tell you the play.
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Ahmed S. Hasan
Criminal Defense Attorney · State Bar of California #364992
Ahmed S. Hasan is the founder of ASH Legal, a solo criminal defense practice based in San Francisco. The firm runs on flat-fee representation: one lawyer, one fee, from arraignment through resolution. No hourly billing. No surprise invoices.
Ahmed is a graduate of Emory University School of Law and a member in good standing of the State Bar of California (Bar #364992). His practice focuses on misdemeanor defense across San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties — DUI, domestic violence, petty theft and shoplifting, drug possession, vandalism, trespassing, and assault and battery — with particular attention to diversion-track outcomes that end in dismissal under PC 1001.95, PC 1001.36 (Mental Health Diversion), PC 1001.80 (Military Diversion), and PC 1001.83 (Parental Caregiver Diversion).
Ahmed previously served as a post-bar clerk with the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, the city's largest indigent-defense practice. He is a member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley.
He represents clients across San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. The main office is at 15 Boardman Place, Suite 301, San Francisco, with a Redwood City office available by appointment.
Free 30-minute consultations are available by phone or Zoom. (510) 545-6515 · ahmed@ashlegal.com