Elkhart County
Elkhart County is located in the northern part of the State of Indiana. The county was founded in April 1830 and has a population of about 207,000. Elkhart County is the 16th largest county in the state per total area, with 463.2 square miles. The county seat is Goshen, while the largest city is Elkhart.
The county's court system comprises city and town courts, superior courts, and circuit courts. The city and town courts have limited jurisdiction. They hear all city or town ordinance violations, infractions, and some misdemeanors criminal cases. The superior courts have general jurisdiction over most civil and criminal cases. To handle specialized cases, superior courts have civil, criminal, and family divisions. The criminal cases handled by the superior courts include felonies and misdemeanors, while the civil cases heard in the Elkhart County superior courts include general civil claims and small claims cases.
The Elkhart County circuit courts have original jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases but only handle cases beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. The circuit courts handle most domestic relations cases, including divorce, child support, child custody, paternity, and domestic violence protection orders. The circuit court system shares jurisdiction with the superior court system over probate matters, mental health cases, and juvenile cases, including child abuse, juvenile delinquency, neglect, and termination of parental rights.
The Elkhart County clerk's office maintains the records of the courts. Anyone seeking a court record may visit the clerk's office at:
101 N Main St #204
Goshen, IN 46526
Also, Elkhart County uses the Indiana Supreme Court's statewide Odyssey Case Management System to track court proceedings in its court. The site is free to the public and easy to use. Hence, you may find case information and some court documents for non-confidential records by performing a search on the system. The system may be searched using case, name, or attorney information.
