Clayton County
Clayton County is the fifth most populous county in Georgia with an estimated population of 297,000. As Georgia's third smallest county by land area, it only spans 144 square miles. It was created and named after Augustin S. Clayton in 1858. The Black/African American ethnic group is the predominant population in the county.
The Clayton County court system comprises Superior Court, State Court, Magistrate Court, Probate Court, and Juvenile Court. As a court of general jurisdiction, the Superior Court of Clayton Judicial Circuit handles both criminal and civil cases. It resolves cases related to felony, declaratory judgment, mandamus, equity, habeas corpus, and title to land.
The State Court of Clayton Judicial Circuit is a trial court with limited jurisdiction over certain criminal and civil cases. It handles civil actions that are not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Superior Court as well as misdemeanors and traffic violations.
Clayton County Magistrate Court handles preliminary hearings in misdemeanor offenses and felonies, county ordinance violations, and civil disputes involving $15,000 or less. The Probate Court of Clayton County has exclusive original jurisdiction over cases involving conservatorship and guardianship of minors and incompetent people, administration of estate wills, and the probate of wills.
Furthermore, the protection of the well being of children and provision of care for children removed from their homes are the roles of the Juvenile Court. It also handles cases involving paternity, juvenile delinquency, and termination of parental rights.
Per the Georgia Open Records Act, the general public can inspect and obtain copies of court records that are not considered confidential by state law or court order. In Clayton County, the Clerk of Court is the custodian of court records and has the responsibility of serving the public by providing non-confidential court records in a reasonable amount of time.
Criminal, civil, and traffic court records can be obtained by the public either at the Clerk's Office or through the court case inquiry tool on the county's website. To access a court record, you must provide either the name of the associated party or a case number.
