Litchfield County
Located in the northwestern part of Connecticut, Litchfield County was founded in 1751 and spans a total area of about 945 square miles. At least 185,000 people inhabit the county.
Residents of Litchfield County are served by the Litchfield Judicial District at Torrington through a Probate Court and a Superior Court. In addition to performing its traditional role in handling decedents' estates and trusts, the Probate Court hears various sensitive cases affecting children, older people, and individuals with psychiatric and intellectual disabilities. The Superior Court in Litchfield County has jurisdiction over criminal, civil, family, and juvenile matters.
While the Criminal Division of the Superior Court hears cases like criminal felonies, violations, and infractions, the Civil Division handles cases where someone is being sued for personal, civil, or property rights. Such cases include the following:
- Landlord/tenant disputes
- Contracts
- Professional and product liability disputes
- Personal or car accidents
The Juvenile Division of the court hears cases involving the emancipation of minors, termination of parental rights, neglected children and youth, and delinquency. On the other hand, the Family Division handles matters involving family relationships and juveniles, such as divorce, child support, child custody, child abuse and neglect, and relief from abuse (temporary restraining order).
Except for records of juvenile matters that are confidential, most court records in Litchfield County are public records unless otherwise classified as confidential or sealed. Public court records in the county, including records of civil, criminal, family law, and probate cases, can be accessed by interested persons at the Litchfield County courthouse. Alternatively, the state's Judicial Branch provides a Case Look-up Service that allows looking up records of Superior Court cases. Similarly, records of Litchfield County Probate Court cases can be publicly accessed online using the Connecticut Probate Courts Case Lookup Portal.
