A wide view of the Mendocino County Courthouse shows the building’s front entrance, with a broad staircase leading up to glass doors beneath the courthouse name. Pale green railings line the steps, and the symmetrical façade is framed by trees and overcast sky.
The Mendocino County Courthouse in Ukiah, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. On Monday morning in Mendocino County Superior Court, Judge Keith Faulder held a hearing regarding an order to appoint a special master to review the information on Matt LaFever's seized electronic devices. LaFever has been accused of allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a 17-year-old girl. (Sydney Fishman/Bay City News)

MENDOCINO CO., 1/22/26 — Starting next month, juveniles in Mendocino County who receive an infraction like a speeding ticket will have their case handled in court rather than by the county’s Probation Department.

People under the age of 18 accused of infractions such as speeding, possessing an open container of alcohol in public, or causing a noise disturbance like a party that disrupts neighbors will have their case reviewed in Mendocino County Superior Court starting Feb. 1.

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Sydney Fishman is a UC Berkeley California Local News Fellow and lives full time in Ukiah. Reach her at sydney@mendovoice.com or through her Signal username @sydannfish.67.