Napa County
Napa County is situated north of San Pablo Bay in northern California. Created in 1850 as one of the state's original counties, it is populated with 133,216 residents. The City of Napa is its county seat.
Napa County has a unified trial court system composed of a single trial court: the Superior Court. The Napa County Superior Court, which comprises different divisions based on case type, has general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. The Criminal Division adjudicates felonies and misdemeanors, while the Civil Division oversees claims below $25,000 for Limited civil cases and above $25,000 for Unlimited civil cases. Also, the Small Claims Division hears civil claims for amounts in controversy for $7,500 for cases that qualify for the simplified Small Claims process, while the Family Division hears family and children-related cases such as marriage dissolutions and paternity. In addition, the Probate Division oversees probate matters, including wills, guardianships, estate administrations, conservatorships, and trusts. In contrast, the Juvenile Division hears cases arising from child abuse, children in need of supervision, juvenile delinquency, and child neglect. The Traffic Division exercises jurisdiction over traffic infractions, including juvenile traffic violations and other fine-based offenses such as illegal parking and speeding.
Napa County court records refer to all legal files and documents detailing court case proceedings in the Superior Court. These records are generated to demonstrate the judiciary's accountability and transparency to the public. They also ensure an equitable delivery of justice to county residents. Court proceedings are usually compiled and filed into the following court records in Napa County:
- Criminal records
- Civil records
- Domestic relations records
- Juvenile records
The Napa County Clerk of the Superior Court manages court records. To access court records, record seekers can either perform a case lookup online or visit the specific courthouse division where their actions were filed. They can also obtain court record copies after submitting record requests via mail or in person and paying fees at these courthouse divisions. Basic case information searches can be done using such criteria as case name, date, or case number.
