Delaware County
Situated in Indiana's east-central region, Delaware County was established in 1827 and has a population of 112,321 people. It is named for the early Delaware settlers, who were Native Americans. The county seat is Muncie, which is also its largest municipality.
Delaware County has a trial court structure consisting of circuit courts and a city court. The Delaware County Circuit Courts, which have original jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases, hear felonies, lesser offenses, misdemeanors, ordinance violations, general civil cases outside minor courts' jurisdictions, and small claims. Circuit court cases in Delaware County also include domestic relations suits such as divorce, child custody, and domestic violence protection orders.
In addition, juvenile cases also fall within the Circuit Courts' purview, including juvenile delinquency, parental rights terminations, child abuse, probate suits, and mental health suits.
The Muncie City Court in Delaware County has limited civil and criminal jurisdiction and exclusive authority to hear city ordinance violations, criminal misdemeanors, and state infractions. This City Court has territorial jurisdiction over Delaware County, extending its authority to adjudicate cases beyond the City of Muncie's limits.
Court records in Delaware County refer to any medium used to document court case proceedings, including paper and digital documents/files, microfilms, and audio/video recordings. These records enhance online and in-person public records access and portray the court processes as accountable and transparent. Typical Delaware County court records that boost residents' confidence in the judicial process include:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Probate records
- Juvenile records
- Family court records
The Delaware County Clerk of the Circuit Courts is tasked with court records maintenance and management. According to Indiana State's Access to Public Records Act, public records, including Delaware County court records, are open to public access and can be examined/copied upon request. Requesters can conduct an online court records lookup using the Indiana Supreme Court's case search portal or submit in-person requests for court records at the Circuit Clerk's Office at:
3100 South Tillotson Avenue
Muncie, IN 47302
Phone: (765) 747-7726
Fax: (765) 747-7768
Per Indiana Code (IC 33-37-5-1 and 33-37-5-3), requesters are also required to pay $1 per page of a non-certified record copy, while an additional fee of $3 is required for a certified copy.
