Downtown Stockton is where most requirements begin
If a judge, a plea deal or a probation officer has told you to take an anger management class, the paperwork almost certainly passed through downtown Stockton. The Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin, keeps its Criminal Department on the 2nd floor of 180 E Weber Ave. The court's page, cited below, says criminal courts there handle misdemeanors, preliminary felony hearings and felony trials. That range matters, because the wording of a class requirement can look quite different in a misdemeanor plea than in a felony sentence.
Not every case is heard in the Weber Avenue building. The court also lists courthouses at 315 W. Elm Street in Lodi and 315 E. Center Street in Manteca, plus a Juvenile Justice Center on W. Mathews Road in French Camp. If you live in Lodi, Manteca, Tracy or Lathrop, look at the top of your minute order to see which location issued it. That tells you which clerk's office holds your file and who to ask when a deadline is unclear.
Probation on Hunter Street
The San Joaquin County Probation Department lists Adult Probation at 24 S. Hunter Street in Stockton, with walk-in hours from 8AM to 4:30PM on weekdays. Juvenile Probation is a separate office out at French Camp. For an adult on supervised probation, the Hunter Street office is close enough to the Weber Avenue courthouse that a single downtown trip can sometimes cover both a records request and a check-in.
Here is the rule that matters most: only the court or your probation officer decides whether a particular class fits your order. A provider can describe its own format, and this directory can introduce you to providers, but neither one can tell you a program will satisfy the terms you were given. Ask your officer, or the clerk in the department that issued the order, before you put down any money.
What kinds of classes you will see
Listings here are independent providers, not the directory's own classes. You will find a mix:
- Weekly group classes that meet in person, often on weekday evenings, for a set number of sessions.
- Individual sessions with a counselor or facilitator, which can be easier to schedule around shift work or a long commute.
- Online formats, either live video or self-paced. Some people in Stockton choose these to avoid driving downtown, but they are also the format most likely to raise questions with a probation officer, so ask first.
- Voluntary classes for people with no case at all who simply want better tools for conflict at home or at work.
Questions to put to any provider
When you call or message a provider, have your order or probation conditions in front of you and ask:
1. How many sessions is the class, and how many hours is each one? 2. Is it held in person, by live video, or both? Where in Stockton do you meet? 3. What written proof of attendance and completion do you give, and how quickly? 4. Will you send progress or completion letters to my probation officer if I sign a release? 5. What happens if I miss a session because of work or a court date? 6. Is the class offered in Spanish or another language I'm comfortable in? 7. What are the full costs, including intake, materials and certificates?
Write down the answers, and take them to your probation officer or the clerk. That conversation, not the provider's description, settles whether the class counts.
Getting there and staying on schedule
Before you sign up, map the route from home and from work. A class across town on a weekday evening can be harder to keep than one that looks less convenient on paper, especially if you commute from north Stockton, Lodi or Tracy. If you rely on transit, ask the provider which stop is closest before you commit to a weekly slot, and leave room for traffic on the days you also have a hearing downtown.
Keep a simple file: your order, the provider's written description, every attendance slip, and the completion document. If you move between the Stockton, Lodi and Manteca courthouses for different hearings, having one folder to bring along saves time at each counter.
A voluntary start is still worth planning
If no one has ordered you to take a class, you have more freedom to try a format, change providers, or pick something shorter. The same questions still help. Knowing how many sessions to expect, how the facilitator handles a missed week, and whether you can switch to video during a busy stretch at work keeps a good intention from fading after the second meeting.