Maricopa County Superior Court Records
Maricopa Superior Court Case Search
Maricopa County Superior Court is a critical part of Arizona's judicial system. They are tasked with doing most of the heavy lifting with serious civil and criminal cases. There is only one of these courthouses per county in the state of Arizona, and this county has the largest case load in the state. With the large volume of both criminal and civil cases heard here, there is a high demand for court record requests.
To begin a Maricopa Superior court case search you only need to know a couple pieces of information. You will either need to know the respective case number, or the full name and date of birth of the person of interest. Then using the county's court case lookup tool, you can quickly track down the information you are after. Since these records are considered public record, anyone can view and access case records online.
What is the Function of the Superior Court?
The Superior Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction that handles a range of civil and criminal cases. There are a total of 15 of these types of courthouses, statewide in Arizona, one per county. They handle most of the serious misdemeanor and felonies, as well as civil cases that involve large sums of money or large contract disputes. This courthouse also deals with family matters that involve divorces, child custody, and guardianships.
How to Run a Maricopa County Superior Court Case Lookup
Running a case lookup can help you find information about ongoing or past cases in Maricopa County. This courthouse offers a user-friendly case lookup tool to access cases involving criminal and civil cases, probate records, and family matters. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process:
Step 1: Access the Court's Website: First, go to the Superior Court's official website. The site has a dedicated section for case information and lookups.
Step 2: Navigate to the Specific Case Search: Select what type of case search you want to perform; criminal, civil, probate, or family.
Step 3: Enter Case Details: To search for a case, you will need specific information such as the case number, the name of a party involved, or the attorney's name. Enter the required information into the appropriate fields.
Step 4: Search, Pay and Download Results: After entering the necessary details, click 'search'. The system will then show you a list of matching cases. You can click on a specific case to get more detailed information, including court dates, case status, and related documents. Then in order to download any documentation you will need to pay for any copies of records. If you need certified copies, it will cost extra.
If you have any difficulties accessing any records or documents online, you can always reach out to the Clerk of the Courts for assistance. They are tasked with many duties including the retrieval of public records for people upon request.
Types of Cases Heard by the Maricopa Superior Court
The Superior Court hears a wide variety of cases, making it the most versatile part of the county judicial system. Here are some of the primary types of cases it handles:
Criminal Cases: These cases include felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions. The court handles everything from initial hearings to trials and sentencing. It typically is also the courthouse dealing with more serious cases, while the justice courthouse deals with more local laws and smaller civil and criminal cases.
Civil Cases: Civil cases involve various lawsuits, and serious legal disputes between individuals or organizations. This might potentially include personal injury claims, large lawsuits, and property disputes.
Family Law Cases: Family legal battles can involve divorces, child custody, child and alimony support, and other serious family legal matters.
Juvenile Cases: This courthouse also handles cases involving minors, including delinquency cases, child welfare, and guardianships. These records are not available to the general public unless instructed by court order.
Probate Cases: Probate cases deal with the distribution of a deceased person's assets and estate, which can include wills and trusts.
Mental Health Cases: These involve issues related to mental health situations, including involuntary commitments into mental health facilities and certain guardianships.
Understanding Maricopa County Court Dockets
Court dockets are official summaries of a proceeding in a designated courthouse. A docket will contain several pieces of important information about the proceeding and details of the case, outcome and the parties involved. They are helpful in offering transparency within the judicial process, as well as organizing and managing the process of an ongoing case. These will include details such as the case number, parties involved, hearing and motions, status and outcomes.