San Mateo County
San Mateo County in California spans about 455 square miles. It was carved out of the southern part of then-San Francisco County in 1856 and is now inhabited by over 760,000 people.
The Superior Court of San Mateo County handles all judicial matters within the county through several divisions. The Civil Division of the court presides over most civil cases among individuals and/or businesses. On the other hand, the Criminal Division of the court oversees all criminal cases within their jurisdiction. The Family Law Division handles cases relating to family law, including divorce, paternity, visitation, and custody.
Matters relating to decedents' estates, trust, guardianship, and conservatorship are under the jurisdiction of the Probate Division of the Superior Court of San Mateo County. The Small Claims Division is a special court in the county that helps resolve disputes quickly. Other prominent divisions of the San Mateo County Superior Court are the Traffic Division and Juvenile Division. The Juvenile Division handles cases involving minors in matters relating to adoptions, delinquency, and dependency.
Any court record not sealed or considered confidential in San Mateo County is called a public court record. Such records include filings, documents, and information gathered in legal proceedings, as well as judgments. Each division of the county's Superior Court maintains records of related cases and makes them available to the public. Generally, records of the following case types are publicly accessible:
- Criminal cases
- Small claim cases
- Civil cases
- Probate cases
- Family law cases
Interested persons can obtain copies of public court records in the county in person at the Superior Court locations, depending on the type of case. Alternatively, the Odyssey Portals, managed by the court, provide access to case data and documents of court cases filed/heard in San Mateo County.
