Norfolk County
Norfolk County was incorporated as a regional governmental entity in 1793 and covers a total area of 444 square miles. It has an estimated population of 727,473 and is the birthplace of four United States Presidents, earning it the nickname "County of Presidents."
Norfolk County has an extensive trial court system that includes Superior, District, Family and Probate, Housing, and Juvenile Courts:
- The Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over first-degree murder cases. It also has original jurisdiction over other criminal matters but typically handles the more serious cases with potential prison sentences of over 2.5 years, as well as civil matters involving over $50,000 and labor disputes.
- The District Courts handle certain felonies and minor criminal offenses, civil cases under $50,000, small claims up to $7,000, eviction cases, ordinance violations, and similar matters.
- The Housing Courts address issues related to residential housing, such as housing code violations, housing discrimination, evictions, lockouts, and receiverships.
- The Family and Probate Courts oversee family and probate issues like divorce, paternity, child support, custody, adoption, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and name changes.
- The Juvenile Courts deal with cases involving minors, such as juvenile delinquency and abuse cases.
Norfolk County also hosts a traveling Land Court that hears real estate and land use matters and Specialty Courts that offer eligible defendants an alternative to incarceration in the form of intensive, supervised probation and mandatory rehabilitative treatment programs.
Norfolk County public court records are official documents created or received during court proceedings in the county. Examples include witness testimonies, subpoenas, summonses, depositions, motions, trial transcripts, judgments, court orders, and verdicts. These records are maintained by Court Clerks at the respective courts where the matters were handled and can be accessed by interested parties upon request.
To this end, the Massachusetts Judicial Branch offers a Trial Court Case Access platform that can be used to lookup Norfolk County public court records online. These records can also be accessed in person via public access terminals at the county's various courthouses. Fees may apply for obtaining copies of these records. Note that Juvenile Court records are not available for public inspection.
