Monroe County
Monroe County was founded in 1821. It is located in the central portion of Georgia and is bordered by seven neighboring counties. The county has five registered municipalities and covers 396 square miles. Its county seat, Forsyth, is named after John Forsyth, a former governor of Georgia. As of 2020, the county had at least 27,956 residents.
The justice system in Monroe County consists of several courts, including a Superior Court, Juvenile Court, Probate Court, Magistrate Court, and Municipal Court. The Superior Court has authority over all civil and criminal cases in the county. Its jurisdiction extends to felonies, property disputes, and family matters like divorce and child custody. The Juvenile Court deals with cases involving minors, such as delinquency, consent for marriage or employment, and the termination of parental rights. The Probate Court has exclusive authority over matters like wills, estates, guardianships, mental health commitments, and some minor criminal cases. The Magistrate Court handles preliminary hearings, minor offenses, civil claims under $15,000, landlord-tenant disputes, and protective orders. The Municipal Court of Forsyth deals with ordinance violations and certain criminal proceedings.
Public court records are official documents that record legal proceedings in Monroe County and their eventual outcome. Per Georgia's Open Records Act (ORA), the records must generally be made available to the public. The Monroe County Clerk of Court is responsible for maintaining and providing access to these public records. These public court records include:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Family records
- Probate records
Public court records can be obtained by sending a request to the Clerk's Office through email or mail. Requests can also be made in person at the office, located at:
1 Courthouse Square
Forsyth, GA 31029
Phone: (478) 994-7022
Individuals who cannot visit in person may also access the records online via PeachCourt, the state-managed court records repository. To access the records online, follow these steps:
- Create a PeachCourt account
- Log in and choose the Monroe County Court where the case was heard
- Enter the relevant case information, such as party names or case numbers, to search for the record
- Review the search results until the desired record is located
Obtaining court records at the Monroe County Clerk's Office costs $0.50 per page. If the desired record must be certified, then an additional $5.00 fee applies.
