Floyd County
Established on December 3, 1832, Floyd County lies in northwest Georgia. It was created from Cherokee County and Rome is its county seat. Floyd County has a population of 100,113 and was named in honor of John Floyd, a U.S. Congressman.
The Floyd County trial court structure encompasses a superior court, a juvenile court, a probate court, a magistrate court, and municipal courts. The Floyd County Superior County is a general jurisdiction court that exclusively adjudicates felonies, real property title suits, and equity cases. Mandamus, habeas corpus, prohibition, and quo warrant also fall within its exclusive authority. A Superior Court's division, the Family Court, handles divorce, child support, domestic violence, and paternity.
The Juvenile Court in Floyd County exercises exclusive and original jurisdiction over cases involving allegedly delinquent, unruly, and deprived children below 18 years old. Also included under this jurisdiction are children in need of treatment due to mental illness or “mental retardation,†juvenile traffic violations, and minor-based judicial consent cases in the event of a marriage, employment, abortion, or enlistment. Although the Probate Court shares concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court over certain juvenile-based crimes, severe crimes such as rape and murder fall outside its purview.
The Probate Court has jurisdiction over cases relating to wills, estate administrations, guardianships, and/or conservatorships. In addition, it is responsible for the issuance of marriage licenses, concealed weapons carry permits, and traffic citations (outside city limits only).
The Floyd County Magistrate Court judges do not conduct jury trials and have limited authority to hear civil and criminal cases, including preliminary hearings, misdemeanors, and ordinance violations. General civil claims below $15,000, landlord-tenant disputes, and deposit account fraud constitute civil cases under the Magistrate Court's jurisdiction.
The Municipal Courts in Floyd County are limited jurisdiction courts that hear cases relating to violations of municipal ordinances. They also oversee preliminary hearing proceedings for some criminal cases and share concurrent jurisdiction with other courts over certain criminal misdemeanors.
Floyd County court records are legal records of civil, criminal, and traffic case proceedings maintained by a court clerk. Typical court record contents include, but are not limited to, indexes, docket sheets, court minutes, case transcripts, disposition sheets, and court decrees. Floyd County court records, which undergird various court processes and ensure judicial transparency, typically include:
- Criminal records
- Probate records
- Juvenile records
- Civil records
The Floyd County Clerk of the Superior Court maintains court records, including Superior Court records, and responds to record requests. Georgia's Open Records Act guarantees access to Floyd County public records, including court records, to the public. Record seekers can search for their desired records or do a civil/criminal docket lookup online on the Superior Clerk‘s website using such criteria as case name and case number. Alternatively, requesters can personally visit the courthouses where their case trials occurred to obtain paper copies of their records. They may, however, be required to pay certain fees.
