New Haven County
New Haven County was constituted by an act of the Connecticut General Court in 1666 and is one of the state's oldest counties. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 864,835 and encompassed a total of 862 square miles, making it Connecticut's third-most populous county and second-largest by total area.
The New Haven County trial court system comprises Superior and Probate Courts. The Superior Courts are the county's general jurisdiction trial courts, and they handle a broad range of legal matters through three main divisions: a Civil Division, a Criminal Division, and a Family Division. Cases commonly heard in this court include contract disputes, product or professional liability disputes, personal injury claims, small claims up to $5,000 ($15,000 for home improvement contracts), landlord/tenant cases, felonies, misdemeanors, violations, infractions, divorce, child custody, and juvenile delinquency cases. The Superior Court also has a Juvenile Matters special subdivision designed to protect children's rights, family relationships, and confidentiality. This subdivision handles juvenile cases that involve either the care of the child or the child's behavior, such as termination of parental rights, the emancipation of minors, delinquency, neglected or uncared-for children and youth, and families with service needs.
The Probate Courts are non-jury trial courts that handle cases involving wills, estates, probate, trusts, adoptions, name changes, guardianships, and other matters involving overseeing decedents' estates and trusts.
New Haven County public court records are documents that provide information on legal proceedings and other court-related activities within the county. These records include court filings, case summaries, court orders, motions, summonses, subpoenas, trial transcripts, sentencing documents, judgments, and settlement agreements. The Superior and Probate Courts both have chief clerks who are responsible for maintaining these records in their respective courts.
You can visit the appropriate court clerk's office to request access to these records. Note that you may be required to fill out a request form and pay a fee to obtain copies of these documents. It is advisable to call the clerk's office beforehand to get a clear idea of their record access requirements.
The Connecticut Judicial Branch also provides online case lookup tools that you can use to search for and view New Haven County public court records.
