Coming soon — a free app
The First Hearing is becoming an app.
Everything I learned facing a first-time domestic violence charge in Santa Clara — what happens next, what it costs, finding a lawyer, the forms, keeping the people you trust in the loop. In your pocket.
Leave your email and I'll give you early access the moment it launches.
- ·No spam. One email, when the guide is live.
- ·Nothing is tied to your name. No account, no record.
- ·No judgment, ever. You are not the only one here.
Free. Anonymous — no name, no login. General information and my own experience, not legal advice.
The First Hearing
Santa Clara County
A look inside
Built for the practical questions
The screens you'll actually use — knowing your first steps, finding a lawyer, walking into court ready, getting the right forms, and asking what you're afraid to ask.
First steps
Your first steps
Write down every court date
Get a copy of your police report
Get a copy of the complaint
Find someone you trust
Follow any no-contact order exactly
Look up how similar cases tend to resolve
Tap to check off what you've done. Saved on your phone — nothing tied to your name.
First steps
The first things to do, one at a time.
Find a lawyer
Who's in the room
A. Reyes
Private defense
Public Defender's Office
Free if you qualify
M. Chen
Private defense
D. Okafor
Private defense
Public court-record appearances over the last year — for your research, not endorsements or outcome claims.
Lawyer search
See who actually appears on local cases.
Next appearance
Walk in ready
Arraignment · Fri, Jul 10
8:30 AM · Hall of Justice, Dept 23
Arrive 30 minutes early
Security lines can be slow.
Bring ID & any paperwork
Citation, release papers, notes.
Dress neat & plain
Like a job interview.
You'll enter a plea
You can ask for time to get a lawyer.
Court prep
Know exactly what to expect.
Court & forms
The right documents
Represent yourself (pro per)
The form and how to file it
Fee waiver — FW-001
If money is tight
Program providers (DVAP)
Approved local classes
Get your court file
Where and how to request it
We explain what each one is and how to choose — we never fill a form out for you.
Court & forms
Explained, never filled out for you.
The First Hearing
Santa Clara County
AI guide
Shares experience, redirects specifics.
Your safety net
People you trust
You're checked in.
They were told you're okay · 2h ago
Mom
Told you're okay · 2h ago
Sam · brother
Told you're okay · 2h ago
Jordan · friend
Alerts only if you go quiet
Anyone here can't be someone a court told you not to contact. A best-effort safety net — not a guarantee.
Your safety net
See who's been told you're okay.
Swipe to see all 6 screens
Built around a few promises
- ·Anonymous by default. No name, no login, no account. Your case details stay on your phone — nothing tied to your name.
- ·Free. No paywall, no upsell. This was built to help, not to sell you anything.
- ·Honest about its limits. It shares general information and my own experience — never legal advice, and never a prediction of how your case will turn out. When something needs a lawyer, it says so.
Want it when it's ready?
Leave your email and I'll reach out the moment the app launches. That's the whole list.
- ·No spam. One email, when the guide is live.
- ·Nothing is tied to your name. No account, no record.
- ·No judgment, ever. You are not the only one here.