Rockdale County
Rockdale County was founded in 1870 and named for Rockdale Baptist Church. It has an estimated population of 93,570 residents and covers about 129.8 square miles of land. The administrative center is located in Conyers. Rockdale County's court system comprises the Superior Court, State Court, Juvenile Court, Probate Court, Magistrate Court, and Municipal Court.
The Superior Court of Rockdale County is a trial court with general jurisdiction over felonies. It also has constitutional authority over certain civil cases, such as adoptions, divorce, habeas corpus, and mandamus. Additionally, the court is authorized to correct errors made by the lower courts by issuing certiorari. Rockdale County's State Court has limited authority over civil and criminal cases and primarily handles traffic violations and misdemeanor criminal cases. All cases involving juvenile delinquency, such as termination of parental rights, juvenile traffic offenses, and child neglect and abuse, are handled by Rockdale County's Juvenile Court.
The Rockdale County Probate Court handles cases related to the probate of wills, administration of estates, conservatorships, and guardianships. On the other hand, the Rockdale County Magistrate Court hears cases involving some misdemeanors, county ordinances, evictions, and small claims and garnishment actions under $15,000. The Rockdale County Municipal Court has authority over preliminary hearings for certain criminal cases and municipal ordinance violations.
Rockdale County court records are files created by the county courts concerning criminal, civil, or other cases filed within the county's jurisdiction. These records typically contain transcripts, dockets, films, and judgments. The following are the types of court records in Rockdale County:
- Civil Records
- Family Records
- Criminal Records
- Juvenile Records
- Probate Records
- Traffic Records
Rockdale County court records are open records under Georgia's Open Records Act. In some instances, certain court records are confidential and restricted from public access. The Rockdale County court records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts Office. Individuals may search for court records using the public access terminals available in the Clerk of Courts Office. To obtain physical copies, there is a minimum charge of $0.05 per page.
