Los Angeles County
Established in 1850, Los Angeles County spans about 4,084 square miles area. The county is one of California's original 27 counties and the largest county by population in the United States, with almost 10 million residents. The seat of government is the City of Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the U.S.
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County operates through several divisions to serve the county residents. The Criminal Division of the Court handles cases where the state files charges of alleged criminal offenses against an individual or entity. Such criminal offenses include misdemeanors, felonies, and infractions. Conversely, the Civil Division hears cases where private individuals (plaintiffs) file civil legal actions against others (defendants).
The Small Claims Division of Los Angeles County's Superior Court hears civil cases in which the amount in dispute does not exceed $12,500. Law actions involving youths, including juvenile justice matters, dependency cases, and adoptions, are handled by the Juvenile Division. The Family Law Division handles a wide range of legal actions, including the following:
- Divorce
- Child custody
- Parentage (paternity)
- Legal separation
- Annulment
- Domestic partner or spousal support
- Domestic violence
- Gun violence restraining order requests
- Child support
- Civil harassment
- Elder abuse
Furthermore, the Los Angeles County Superior Court has a Traffic Division, whose primary responsibility is hearing cases that start when tickets or citations are issued by law enforcement, particularly for traffic law violations and non-traffic offenses. Other divisions are the Probate and Appellate Divisions. The Probate Division is a court of general jurisdiction that includes cases pertaining to decedents' estate, trust, conservatorships, guardianships, and minor's compromises. Trial court decisions and evidence presented at the trial level for matters relating to misdemeanors, infractions, small claims post-judgment enforcement orders, and limited civil proceedings are reviewed by the Appellate Division.
The county's Court Clerk Office maintains court records generated by the Los Angeles County Superior Court in compliance with Section 68152 of the Government Code. Interested persons can obtain copies of several court records for various cases, including criminal, probate, civil, family law, and juvenile records, in person or by mail. Alternatively, the Online Services managed by the Los Angeles County Superior Court allows anyone to view publicly available records of cases filed/heard in the county.
