State Court Cases

There may be a variety of reasons that you want to find records from court cases in your state. Many times, you might want to check criminal court cases for evidence of someone you’re conducting a background check on, or you may want to obtain copies from your own traffic court or family court proceedings. These are frequently needed for employment purposes, applications to professional schools or even to prove final divorce arrangements in the event you need to return to court with your ex-spouse. State court cases exist for both civil and criminal matters, as well as different courts that are given specific jurisdictions to preside over.

Types of Court Cases in Your State

Each state’s court system differs from the next. In order to find a specific case or records, you first must know which court exercises jurisdiction over the type of case it is. Most states have limited jurisdiction courts, general jurisdiction courts, intermediate appellate courts and a Court of Last Resort.

Local town, city and municipal courts will typically hear certain misdemeanor, small claims and traffic cases. County courts may hear the same types of cases but with higher estimated damages. The determination of whether a case will be heard by a judge or a jury may further designate which court will preside over a case. These courts are all considered limited jurisdiction courts.

General jurisdiction courts include circuit courts, probate courts and superior courts that also hear appeals from the limited jurisdiction courts. A state’s Court of Appeals will then hear specific types of cases as well as appeals from the general jurisdiction courts. This court is considered an intermediate appellate court, and the state’s Supreme Court is considered the Court of Last Resort.

Accessing Court Case Records

Most case records for any state can be found online through either the state website or a public search engine. Unless you are party to a juvenile or sealed case, these are generally not provided for public viewing due to sensitive information or that which concerns a minor. Otherwise, information such as the charges, arguments, judgments, dates and documents filed are available to anyone searching for them.

If you can not directly access the court holding the records you need, you may always search for them online. These searches usually require you to search via case number, or a party’s name involved in the case. If you don’t know the case file number, you can always look it up in a state court index. It’s also possible to double-check your own court date and time via online dockets simply by searching for your own name.

Conducting research for academic, professional or personal purposes are all viable reasons to look up case records in your state. Checking someone’s background or verifying the outcome of your own divorce or traffic court proceedings can be easily accomplished by performing a general Internet search or approaching the correct presiding court directly.

State-Specific Court Cases Information:

Missouri Court Cases

Maryland Court Cases

Virginia Court Cases