Osceola County
Created in 1887 from parts of Brevard County and Orange County as Florida's 40th county, Osceola County was named after the famed Seminole leader, Bill Powel, who later adopted the name Osceola. The county covers 1,506 square miles of land area and has a population of 400,000.
The Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida oversees legal matters in Osceola County and comprises several divisions. These include the Circuit Civil Court, County Civil Court, Criminal Court, Probate Division, Juvenile Court, Domestic Relations Court, and Traffic Division.
The County Civil Court has general jurisdiction over actions of law in matters whose dispute amounts are under $50,000, most landlord/tenant matters, and small claims (controversies under $8,000). On the flip side, the Circuit Civil Court handles actions of law with controversies that exceed $50,000. It also hears appeals from the County Courts. The Criminal Court comprises the Criminal County Court and the Criminal Circuit Court. While the Criminal County Court hears criminal traffic cases and misdemeanor criminal matters, the Criminal Circuit Court handles all criminal felonies and has jurisdiction over appeals from the County Courts.
The Probate Division of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida in Osceola County handles legal proceedings involving the granting of wills, determination of competency, settlement of estates, and guardianships. Misdemeanor cases and felonies for defendants younger than 19 are handled by the Juvenile Court. While the Traffic Division oversees legal matters involving civil traffic infractions, the Domestic Relations Court hears civil cases involving marriage dissolution, injunctions for domestic and repeat violence, and name changes.
Public court records in Osceola County are documents and information generated from court processes within the county, filed, and maintained by the courts. They include records gathered from the following types of cases:
- Juvenile cases
- Criminal cases
- Civil cases
- Domestic relations cases
- Probate cases
- Traffic offense cases
The Osceola Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains these records, which can be accessed by the public at the Clerk of Courts Records Center unless considered confidential or sealed. Osceola County public court records can also be searched online using the Case Search Portal managed by the Clerk of Court's office.
