Buena Vista County
Buena Vista County was initially indicated in maps in 1851 but was organized in 1858. The name came from the Battle of Buena Vista, which ended in 1848. The county has a population of 20,600 and covers an area of 580 square miles. In recent years, the employment rate in Buena Vista County grew by almost 3 percent annually. The most prominent employers are manufacturing, educational services, and retailing.
Buena Vista is under District Three of the Iowa District Courts. There is only one courthouse within Buena Vista County. It is located at 215 East 5th Street. The County Courthouse is the main facility and hears all cases, including criminal, civil, probate, family, and traffic infractions. Buena Vista County Courthouse is also listed as a registered probate court. District Three also assigns an individual court judge for every family law case. Each is responsible for the assigned case parts, such as hearings, conferences, and motions.
Court records are documents that are created during case proceedings. They include opening statements, peas, decrees, indexes, witness testimonies, appeals, and judgments. According to the Iowa Judicial Branch, records are accessible for public inspection and copying unless otherwise indicated by the Iowa Court Rules. For example, juveniles, domestic relations, and mental health cases are not available to all interested parties. These records can be sourced from the Clerk of the Courts located on Storm Lake, Iowa 50588.
The Clerk of the Court in Buena Vista County provides access to the following case types.
- Criminal Cases
- Civil Cases
- Probate Cases
- Small Claims Cases
- Traffic Cases
Though Buena Vista County does not have a direct link to open court records, it is possible to view these files via the Public Records Request Page on the Judicial branch site. The site has an efile system where requesters can search via the county, before providing date and party information.
