Franklin County
Founded in 1838, Franklin County was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the U.S. The county is the second-least populous county in Maine, with a population of over 29,000 residents. Its county seat and largest town is Farmington.
Franklin County is home to three trial courts: the Superior Court, District Court, and Probate Court. The Superior Court has authority over civil and criminal cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. Examples of cases heard by this court include felony criminal cases, general civil claims, equitable reliefs, and appeals of administrative agency decisions. This court is also responsible for handling jury trials for most criminal cases in Franklin County.
The District Court exercises limited jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases, including misdemeanors, ordinance violations, domestic relations, landlord-tenant disputes, and mental health commitment proceedings. The court has various divisions such as the family division, traffic division, juvenile court, and small claims court. The family division handles cases such as annulment, divorce, paternity, child custody and support, and grandparent visitation. The juvenile court specializes in criminal cases relating to juvenile defendants, while the small claims court deals with civil claims where the amount of money in dispute is less than $4,500. Cases involving DUIs and traffic offenses are heard by the traffic division of the district court. Franklin County Probate Court handles all probate matters such as estates, wills, name changes, guardianships, and adoptions.
Residents of Franklin County have access to public court records, which are official records of cases handled by the courts in the county. These records include transcripts of proceedings, case indexes, calendars, judgments, orders, pleadings, motions, and case files. Each court in Franklin County has a clerk's office that is responsible for processing and maintaining various types of court records, including:
- Small claims records
- Criminal records
- Traffic records
- Juvenile records
- Civil records
- Probate records
- Family law records
Record seekers may access Franklin County court records online via the re:SearchMaine website. Alternatively, requesters may also obtain superior and district court records by visiting the courthouse or completing the Request for Record Search form and mailing it to the location below:
Judicial Branch Service Center
P.O. Box 266
Lewiston, ME 04243
However, to obtain probate court records, contact the courthouse at:
Franklin County Probate Court
140 Main Street, Suite 6
Farmington, ME 04938
Phone: (207) 778-5888
Hours: 8:30 a..m. to 4:00 p.m.
